I am sure all of you go the cinema hall, and you would have noticed the Indian National Anthem playing right before the movie starts and we all stand and respect our Anthem. Do you remember when the Supreme Court had made it mandatory eleven months back that everyone should stand for the National Anthem and respect the patriotic song and there were so many incidents as well where patriotic fanatics had beaten other people who were not standing inside the theaters and they were sent to jail as well.
The same Supreme Court who had issued a statement saying that it is “compulsory” for all the people to stand inside the cinema halls, now issued another statement saying that it is “NOT MANDATORY” to stand inside the theaters!
Supreme Court seat drove by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra indicated on Monday that it might adjust its 2016 decision and make it discretionary for cinema halls to play the National Anthem.
SC says it’s open to replace shall with may in its order, making it mandatory for cinema goers to when national anthem is played
— bhadra Sinha (@BhadraSinha) October 23, 2017
The best court likewise requested that the Center consider correcting the national banner code on the off chance that it needed to implement the playing of the national song of patriotism corridors the nation over.
In November 2016, the court passed a request, saying, “All the cinema theaters in India shall play the National Anthem before the film begins and all present in the inside are obliged to stand up to show patriotism to the National Anthem.”
On Monday, Chief Justice Misra said the court “may modify its order and may replace the word “shall” with “may.” Until then the November order will be in operation”.
When the hearing was going on, one of the judges, Justice DY Chandrachud questioned Attorney General KK Venugopal asking whether “everyone should wear their patriotism on their sleeves?”
J Chandrachud, 1 if the 3 judges says y shd one b called an anti-national if one doesn’t stand during national anthem
— bhadra Sinha (@BhadraSinha) October 23, 2017
To that Venugopal answered saying that playing of the National Anthem fosters national unity in a diverse country like India and then he also referred to the fundamental duties enshrined in our constitution.
Then there was another statement by Justice Chanrdachud where he mentioned that cinema halls is a place for entertainment. “Tomorrow if someone says don’t wear shorts and t-shirt to cinema halls because National Anthem is being played…. Where do we draw a line? Where do we stop this moral policing?” he asked.
Till now there is no conclusion as to what has been decided, as the Supreme Court will have the next hearing on the 9th of January 2018 where they will decide whether the government will issue a notification or will it just put this issue on effect with a notice.
According to my personal opinion, I feel that patriotism is something that comes from within and since our childhood we are taught to respect our National Flag, Anthem and everything that is dear to our country, so it is not right to just disrespect and say suddenly that you have a choice to either stand or sit for the National Anthem because it is simply not right. Either you remove the National Anthem or just make everyone stand atleast for 2 minutes!
