Should one be forced to stand-up for the national anthem?

What has happened?

For those who don’t know… Read this or watch the video…

Muslim family forced to leave theatre for not standing during national anthem

 

This is my response to following question asked on Quora.
Why didn’t the Muslim family stand up in the theater while the Indian National Anthem was played?

This is insane.
Social media has gone insane!

Okay. Let’s start looking at this objectively.

I am considering that each person/family had no other reason, other than their wish!

  1. There is a problem in the question!
    It was not a responsibility of a Muslim to stand-up! It was a responsibility of an Indian.
    So question should be like this….

    Why didn’t that “Indian” family stand up in the theater while the Indian National Anthem was being played?

    Don’t throw your religious ideas on others.If media makes it an issue of religion; that doesn’t mean it always is.

    (“Why can’t you understand? Muslims never respected our ‘national anthem’ or ‘national song’. Look at this… Muslims can worship only Allah’: BSP MP refuses to apologise for ‘disrespect’ of national song. ”
    “One person or some person don’t represent the whole group!”
    “Why not? They are all the same! They should go to Pakistan!”
    ” Well if that would have been a case, then by looking at you, a foreigner would have said that India is an illogical and anti-Islamic fanatic country. Thank your supernatural friend in the sky for us, because that’s not the way logic works.!”)

     

  2. This has not happened the first time!
    We go to cinema halls every week and it’s common to see boys-girls chitchatting, people talking, mobiles ringing in-between and calls being answered during those 52 seconds.
    (“What made this family different than others?”“They must be wearing yellow clothes with yellow hats to make them visible and shining. I knew it! Yellow colored clothes lead to such problems. They should be banned! This is unacceptable!”
    “Or the reason was that white cap and black and white clothes!?”
    “Whatever… I hate yellow!)
    I am quoting The Hindu, a prestigious newspaper of our country…

    The Madras High Court Bench here on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by an advocate seeking a ban on playing the national anthem in cinema halls since he witnessed that not many people in the theaters accord respect by standing to attention.

    Justices R. Sudhakar and V.M. Velumani rejected the plea on the ground that the Union Home Ministry had made it clear on January 5 this year that the audience in cinema halls was not expected to stand up whenever the anthem was played as part of newsreels and documentaries.The Home Ministry’s communication, forwarded to Chief Secretaries of all State governments and Union Territories, stated that standing in cinema halls was bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and “would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem.”

    No need to stand up for national anthem in cinema halls: HC quotes Home Ministry

  3. It’s a moral duty, maybe; but not a crime!
    Standing at attention for National Anthem not mandatory: Court

    (I mean socially created false moral duty)
  4. I don’t think that it was disrespectful! If someone doesn’t want to stand-up; okay!Don’t do it.
    That doesn’t affect anyone’s ideas or any nation.
    It will not cause any harm to India or Indians.
    Then why they were forced to go outside the Hall?
    Let’s explore that now.
  5. It doesn’t disrespect country. But it damages the ego and identity of people.

    Nationalism is more like a religion! This is what I always say.
    (“What? You told me this is not a religious issue, then you are dragging religion into this?”
    “Just listen… I am not saying that it’s a religious issue. Just let me explain.”)
    Taking pride at nationality is more like a religious pride. It gives a group identity and cultural identity.Everyone gets worried, how can someone say that to my nation? How can someone insult my nation?They feel threatened to identity. But this way of thinking damages our rationality.
    And then it leads to irrational outrages.
    It depends on where we stop to love. Some people stop at city, some at state, most of them at nation, and few at the world!
    If someone says that this nation has given everything to me…. well, but it can be answered the same way as above. It depends on how a person thinks about where to stop being grateful.!?

    I would say respect and love the whole world!

  6. Along with those anti-smoking ads, the national anthem is stuck with you; you enjoy it or not, that doesn’t matter! It’s a price for your enjoyment!

    (of course, that you pay in addition to movie tickets; otherwise if cinema tickets can be paid only via national anthem, there would be a long queue to attend national anthem singings! Oh, it costs 20 times national anthem or 20 anti-smoking ads per movie; 40 extra national anthems for popcorn! Ohhh, so costly!
    And you will listen other people saying,
    “Are yaar… This Thursday, I can’t attend the meeting! I need to pay for both Amir and Salman’s movies. They should cost 100 national anthems each. But you know, Aamir is a national traitor, he asked for 100 anti-smoking ads. He should leave the country!”)

    I mean if it helps to create any developments in India, I am in for both. Otherwise for most of the people, it’s more like a ritual; people sing it with fear or false respect for social acceptance and forget about it when it ends.!

  7. “WTF!? I have to stand-up, and you don’t have to? That shouldn’t be the way.” Well, this can be a common thinking!

 

At last…

If your national pride or ego has been hurt. Write about it. talk about it.
Don’t turn each and every issue to religion. Keep it to yourself.
Don’t force anyone to do anything. Don’t use physical abuse.

And if you forget everything…Always remember…
Most of the Indians said that India is a tolerant nation. Ask yourself, are you?

 

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Tejas Ghetia

Tejas Ghetia is a doctor by trade and a writer by heart. An introvert atheist. Having virtues of silence and observance. Enjoying each day with his full consciousness. Befriended with books and movies.Liberating himself with his adventures of literary and philosophical type! Captivated by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Osho, Kahlil Gibran, Richard Dawkins, Kafka, JKR etc.

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