National Anthem in Theaters : Patriotism or Imposition?

The Supreme Court has revisited its much talked about decision taken last year which ordered playing National Anthem in all cinema halls across the country. The Court feels that standing for the National Anthem is not a measure of patriotism. It is now for the Central Government to take its stand on the issue. Whatever the course of events are, I feel it is time we talk about patriotism and nationalism and get a clear idea of what can actually be called as ‘Anti National’.

I remember reading an anecdote long back about an incident in Japan. There was a thief who had entered a house. The owner of the house played the Japanese National Anthem and the thief stood in attention which gave the security guards enough time to catch him. Later on, the thief was praised for his patriotism while the owner was found guilty of insulting the National Anthem. Among many other interpretations, one thing which this interesting story prominently tells us is that Patriotism cannot be forced- it has to come from within.

 Standing for the National Anthem may seem to be a good idea with the objective of instilling patriotism and love for the country, but to be very honest this is not going help the cause much.  Cinema halls are places meant for entertainment, and not for validating our love for the nation. This instead might not go down well with many, because things which are forced hardly appeal to the people.

But the issue is not merely confined to National Anthems or Cinema Halls. My concern lies with the environment of forced nationalism that seems to be building in our country. India is a diverse country- with a variety of religions, ethnicities and traditions. In such a highly diversified social and cultural fabric there are people with different behaviors and ideologies. Some might express their love for the nation vociferously- some others might be calm while some others might not be expressive at all. But does that matter? Is demonstration of nationalism getting more important than loving the country?

There is this section of the society which believes that if we cannot stand for 52 seconds to show respect for our anthem, then what on earth can we do for our country? Very well! The point is not about 52 seconds, people. We can stand not only for 52 seconds but for 520 seconds and even for much more- provided that helps my nation to prosper. And that is obviously not the case when I do that in a movie theater before a comedy flick starts, or at any random place for that matter.

Acts and fundamentals like these threaten our integrity and harmony, and are in fact endangering our reputation globally. How often do we hear of people being thrashed up for not standing during the national anthem in movie theaters. What makes the situation even sadder and more disturbing is that many of the people assaulted were differently abled citizens. This is just one aspect of the imposition that many so called ‘lovers’ of the nation seem to put on the citizens of the country. Needless to say, the possibility of misuse of such rules can never be ruled out.

As I have been asserting in some of my previous articles that show and symbolism will not take us anywhere. I am proud to say that I am an Indian and I have great respect for my culture and my traditions. But still I feel that playing national anthems at random places is unnecessary.

I welcome this decision of the Supreme Court and sincerely hope that the Central Government also adopts a flexible and logical mindset while deciding on the matter. We should rather focus on doing things that actually are positive in the interest of the country, instead of putting our energy on things which simply appear to be good. Nationalism is never forced- love for the country is inherent…..

A proud Indian