In recent times, patriotism has become a much debated issue in India. What constitutes patriotism? Must we display our patriotism in order to be considered true Indians? When citizens are required to display their patriotism via symbols of the nation such as the flag and national anthem, is this a good thing? Does this inculcate love for the nation or does this seem like an imposition? Supreme Court rulings in the matter have tried to clarify the matter.
Recently a three judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that it was not compulsory for people to stand for the national anthem in cinema halls. “People go to the movie halls for undiluted entertainment. Society needs entertainment. You do not have to stand up for the national anthem in cinemas to prove your patriotism,” observed Justice Chandrachud. This was with reference to a previous SC ruling requiring people to stand for the anthem – which led to a handicapped person being controversially beaten up for not standing among other instances of newly embraced nationalistic zeal.
The judge clarified that there is no need to wear one's patriotism on one's sleeve. Referring to the move as ‘moral policing’ the judge said, "Next thing will be that people should not wear t-shirts and shorts to movies because it will amount to disrespect to the National Anthem... where do we stop this moral policing?"
The Supreme Court made a ruling on a matter that has been controversial for a number of reasons. As many pointed out, there are many instances where a person is unable to stand for the anthem – either because they are unwell, old, infirm or incapacitated because of a disability. There was the case of Salil Chaturvedi, a wheelchair bound person who was beaten up for not standing for the anthem in the cinema. In Kerala 6 people were taken into custody for not rising and elsewhere another person was called a Pakistani and heckled for not standing because of a disability. A leader had also said at the time – with breathtaking insensitivity – that mentally challenged individuals could be ‘trained’ to remain still for the national anthem before movies.
Moreover a person may simply be very tired; having come to watch a movie to relax and unwind, they may be physically unwilling and mentally disengaged from the whole process of standing at attention for something that is essentially a solemn event of saluting the nation. There is a time and place for this; a cinema hall is not it.
In a social atmosphere where the outward display of nationalism – on social media or by ostentatious physical display such as placing the flag on the car dashboard etc – has become more important than its observance in spirit, this is important. In fact the Supreme Court should have gone a step further and clarified that the playing of the national anthem before a movie should not be compulsory – the setting is incongruous and inappropriate.
The SC has lobbed this particular ball into the court of the central government; asking it to ‘take a call’ on the matter. In fact a setting such as a s movie hall is where people with small children or groups of young people looking for some fun – to forcibly insert a note of solemnity here is misplaced. In this instance the SC wisely called out what is essentially ‘performance patriotism’; however the hon’ble SC should have also clarified that such performance patriotism cannot be forced in this or any other setting and that it is ultimately meaningless.
Since the supreme court has gone into this matter – and it is debatable whether so much valuable time of the top court should have been diverted to this matter looking at the huge backlog of vitally important matters that clog up the judicial system and how the matter has given rise to many instances of hooliganism and intimidation – they should have disposed of the matter in its entirety instead of opining on only part of the issue and then asking the government to legislate upon the matter. Should the highest court of the land really be fixing issues such as those raised in the image above?
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
