GUNTHROAT

I saw a very good movie ‘The American President’ recently in TV. It is not a political drama, but a romantic comedy featuring Michael Douglas (my dear friends would definitely remember him in basic instinct). The movie ends with a captivating speech by Douglas which turns the tide in favour of him in the story. The content of the speech was very interesting. He in the speech defends his girl friend who is under fire from opposition party for her act of burning the American flag 13 years ago. He says the idea of America does not reside on a flag but on the concepts of liberty, freedom and democracy which it upholds Liberty which gives the citizens to burn the flag and consider national anthem as just another song.
On Friday there were reports on national news channels about Shashi Tharoor (former UN undersecretary) disrespecting national anthem by interrupting it. He reportedly took the microphone and asked the audience to keep the right hand on the left chest when they sung national anthem (the American way) contrary to the ‘’lawful’’ way of standing in attention practised so far in India. A PIL has been filed against Mr Tharoor by an ‘informed patriot’’ asking the court to punish Mr Tharoor.
There are two aspects to the issue. One being whether there is any guideline given in the constitution on the posture of a civilian when singing national anthem. The second, whether any law which demands the citizens to respect some symbols and songs (even if I don’t like the tune of the anthem or the colour combination of the flag I am forced to respect or love it) in tune with the spirit of our constitution which assures liberty and freedom of speech and expression (without harming the tranquillity of the society). So if somebody dictates someone as distinguished and erudite as Mr Tharoor not only to respect the anthem but to respect it in a particular way (as imagined or conceived by him) it questions the very fundamentals on which our nation was built. The same issue comes up again in the singing of Vande Mataram (our national song). Vande Mataram hails India (bharath mata) as God. Now Muslim community does not accept anything other than Allah as God and are not ready to worship anyone else (keeping up with their stringent monotheistic doctrine). So they have serious reservations about singing Vande Mataram. Now we can’t question their right not to sing or respect a song. Nor can we force them to sing vande mataram.
I remember during my school days my PT teacher(an ex army personnel) asking me to keep the shoes (or feet) in V position, chest inflated (though I didn’t have much to inflate) and head held high when national anthem is being sung. So I used to look at my feet (whether it remained a V and not U or T) throughout the recital in assembly. It’s an army practice to stand in attention during national anthem and salute in a particular way which we inherited from the British. No one in this country has the right to tell me the way in which I should stand when national anthem is being sung (the way I should respect it). Whether I should prostrate, stand on my knees, stand at ease during the anthem is entirely up to me.
It is also worthwhile to note the way in which movies deliver an overtly jingoistic representation of respect for national anthem. Two Tamil movies stand apart in this. It is funny that the same Tamils whose persistent impudence towards national symbols prompting the hasty enactment of the earlier version of Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act,1971(prohibiting desecration of or insult to the country's national symbols, including the flag, constitution, and anthem.) by state legislature of Madras take a completely different stand now. One is the famous scene in Roja where Aravind Swamy uses his body to put down the fire on the flag burned by terrorists. I remember enjoying the scene then (especially because of the fantastic background score), but later laughing at the sheer foolishness of a person who believes a nation’s dignity lies in a piece of cloth (or its desecration would harm the country). The second movie has an even preposterous scene. I don’t remember the name of the movie. The hero Sharathkumar (sabse bada budda) is a police officer. He is standing in attention during the recital of national anthem. Suddenly villains come and drop his sister laden with explosives on ground. He does not move (as he respects the country). The villains finally losing patience blasts her and goes away. He finishes his song and runs towards his sister who by now is just ash. I am shocked by the sheer frivolity with which movies handle the concept of nationalism and patriotism. They tend to give the message that the person who won’t breathe (to be most idle) during a patriotic song (national anthem) loves the nation more than the numerous social activists who fight for the rights of citizens in this country. I would seriously recommend the removal of all the acts and subsequent amendments asking the citizens to fake respect towards nation.