The Supreme Court on Monday stated that one needn’t stand up for the National Anthem in movie halls to prove their patriotism. Further, the Supreme Court has requested the Centre to consider amending the rules to regulate the playing of the National Anthem before a film.
PTI News reports that a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the next time “the government will want people to stop wearing T-shirts and shorts to cinemas saying this would disrespect the National Anthem.” The bench further said that it will not allow the government to “shoot from its shoulder” and asked it to take a call either way on the issue of regulating the playing of the anthem before a film.
The bench, also comprising of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud, said:
“People go to cinema halls for undiluted entertainment. Society needs entertainment. We cannot allow you (Centre) to shoot from our shoulders. People do not need to stand up in cinema halls to prove their patriotism. Desirability is one thing but making it mandatory is another. Citizens cannot be forced to carry patriotism on their sleeves and courts cannot inculcate patriotism among people through its order.”
The debate of standing for the National Anthem in movie halls was reignited after a petition was filed by Kodungallur Film Society, Kerala to recall the November order passed on a PIL filed last year by one Shyam Narayan Chouksey seeking directions that the National Anthem should be played in all the cinema halls before a film begins.
Adding more to the debate, Justice Chandrachud further said that cultural and social values are inculcated by parents and teachers and not through court orders. “If the court is supposed to enforce respect for the National Anthem on citizens, it should also enforce the other fundamental duties in Article 51A,” he was quoted as saying.
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The court has asked the Centre to consider taking a call by 9 January on amending the National Flag code for regulating the playing of National Anthem in cinema halls across the country.
In November 2016, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order to all cinemas to play the National Anthem before the screening of a film “in order to imbibe the love of the motherland”. The order said that all present must “stand up in respect” till the anthem ended, to “instill a feeling within one a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism.”