Supreme Court orders National Anthem in movie halls

New Delhi: The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that all cinema halls in the country must play the national anthem before each show, and said that audiences would “show honour and respect to it.” The court gave a 10-day deadline for implementation of its order.

“…it would instil a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism among people. A time has come when the citizens of the country must realize that they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the national anthem,” the court said.

The order comes amid a razing national debate on nationalism and intolerance, and drew reactions on social media, with opinion sharply divided. Some said it was unnecessary, while others saw nothing wrong with it.

Many cinemas across states already play the national anthem before screenings, but there have been instances of people being beaten up for not standing up for the anthem.

The court said that entry and exit doors would remain closed when the anthem is played to avoid any disturbance. The court also said that there would not be any dramatisation or commercial exploitation of the  “Jana Gana Mana.”

“…when the anthem plays, screens should display the national flag. The anthem or a part of it shall not be printed on any object,” it said.  The court said love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the national anthem as well as the national flag.

India’s first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore penned the song in 1911. The first of five stanzas was adopted as India’s national anthem in 1950. The court also banned any abridged version of the 52-second song.

In the 1960s and 1970s, after India-China war, cinemas played it after every movie, but since people often walked out, the practice declined and had to be discontinued. The Union home ministry’s rules specify that it is compulsory to stand to attention when the anthem is played

The court asked the Centre to circulate its order to the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, and posted the matter for further hearing on February 14, 2017.

Union minister for information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu said the order would inculcate a sense of patriotism among people, particularly the younger generation. He said the order would strengthen the idea of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’, and help India become a world leader.

The Congress also welcomed the order. Party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi however demanded that the national anthem should also be played everyday before the start of each Parliament session.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Shyam Narain Chouksey who had sought enforcement of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.