Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Standing Up for the National Anthem

This happened last week when I had gone for a movie at a theater in Mumbai. Before the start of the movie the National Anthem was about to be played and a request flashed to stand up in attention. It was the one showing Lata Manageshwar and others which just keeps going on. The anthem has to be finished in 52 secs. I would ideally like watching many other better versions, preferably the one showing the differently able children.

While standing through the anthem my eyes felt on a family on a couple of rows ahead me. The parents stood up for the anthem while their son was sitting beside them least bothered or interested. This angered his mother and she hissed him to stand up and after a few rounds of arguments the boy finally gave in and was made to forcibly stand.

      This brings a question to my mind. Most of the youngsters today are a thinking generation. They are a rebellious for a right cause in their own sense. The question that comes to the mind is whether is it mandatory to stand up when the anthem is played. The answer is ‘no’. What satisfaction can we derive from forcing them? The Ministry of Home Affairs says, whenever the anthem is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in course of a newsreel or documentary or the anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather then add to dignity of the anthem.

      This has to be taken in its simplest sense. Personally I would stand up whenever the anthem is played or sung publicly. But if there is someone who does not wish to stand up, then we shouldn’t be bothered and leave him to himself as long as such person does not act in any manner to lower the dignity or respect of the anthem.
                                           
                                          KARAN

1 comment:

  1. I think this roots from the type of things that the school teaches its students. I studied in a convent where I was taught many patriotic songs along with the National Anthem. The teachers made sure we sang and sang it right so, for me it rooted from my childhood. My dad cannot tolerate any disrespect towards the flag or the nation so he made sure I pay the respect that the flag deserve. A kid in US or anyother country for that matter knows how to respect his/her nation and flag because elders and the school teaches them about the importance. Here in our country I am not sure if the teachers can sing the national anthem properly. If they cannot I am sure they will not be ashamed of it but it will become a style statement. I was taught that I should stop wherever national anthem is played stop, respect and go after it gets over. How many of us know that it cannot be sung/played any given time but only mornings/evenings? We hum the song like another movie song. Shame! While I agree that it is unnecessary in the theaters, I beg to differ from your point of view that it is at our convenience, No! Few things are not at your convenience few things deserve what it should. These women at the T20 Finals yesterday should be atleast 40 years old and they just cannot stop yapping, what are they going to talk in that 52 secs? Nuke deal? what are they going to teach their children?

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