Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to consider amending the law for regulating the playing of national anthem in cinema halls – an instruction that has brought back the heated debate on code of conduct while playing the National Anthem. The Supreme court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud made some important observations while hearing the issue. Here are 5 things you need to know:
1) The Supreme Court said that Centre has to take a call, uninfluenced by its earlier order on the playing of the national anthem in theatres.
2) Justice Chandrachud, who was part of a three-judge bench, said that “why do people have to wear their patriotism on their sleeve?” He added: “People go to a movie theatre for undiluted entertainment. Society needs that entertainment”.
3) Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, argued that India is a diverse country and the national anthem needs to be played in cinema halls to bring in uniformity.
4) As per PTI, the bench further indicated that it may modify its order of December 1, 2016, by which the playing of the anthem was made mandatory for cinema halls before the screening of a movie, and it may replace the word “shall” with “may”.
5) The Supreme Court had last year ordered theatres across the country to mandatorily play the national anthem before a movie and the audience must stand and show respect, in a bid to “instill committed patriotism and nationalism”. It had ruled that “love and respect for the motherland are reflected when one shows respect to the national anthem as well as to the national flag”. Not only mandating the audience to stand up, the court had even barred printing of the anthem or a part of it on any object and displaying it in such a manner at places which may be “disgraceful to its status and tantamount to disrespect”.