The Supreme Court has decreed that all cinema halls should play the national anthem before starting of a film and people present in the hall should stand up during the playing of the anthem. Will this step help in promoting patriotism and nationalism? How does the CPI(M) view it?

Harsh Kumar, Delhi

THE Supreme Court has ordered that all cinema halls should play the national anthem before the beginning of a feature film. It has also decreed that all viewers in the hall are obliged to stand up to show respect to the national anthem. The two-member bench has in its judgement said “a time has come, the citizens of the country must realise that they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the National Anthem which is the symbol of Constitutional Patriotism and inherent national quality”.

This judicially imposed test of patriotism and nationalism is totally uncalled for and based on bad reasoning. Respect for national anthem and national symbols like the national flag cannot be promoted by such diktats. Respect is generated by instilling in the citizens democratic and secular values.

Further, the order that the national anthem should be played in all cinema halls for every film show, displays a lack of judiciousness in this judicial fiat. People go to the cinema to watch films for leisure and entertainment. To impose this test of patriotism for watching a B grade Bollywood or Hollywood movie is to ludicrously mix up the private choice of citizens with “constitutional patriotism”.

The judgment has not set out any penalties for those who do not comply with order to stand up during the playing of the national anthem. But we know that this will be used as a measure to intimidate and punish people. There was a case some years earlier of some persons being charged with sedition for not standing up during the national anthem being played at the end of a film in Thiruvananthapuram.

Now with the Modi government in office the zeal to impose the patriotism test as legally ordained by the Supreme Court will be pursued with full zeal. The CPI(M) hopes that better sense will prevail and the Supreme Court will urgently review this order.