New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that in 10 days all cinema halls in the country must play the national anthem at the beginning of each show. It is imperative on the part of everyone present to show due respect and honour the national anthem, the bench said.
Giving this direction on a PIL from Shyam Narain Chouksey seeking enforcement of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitav Roy said there shall be no commercial exploitation to give financial advantage or any kind of benefit and the national anthem should not be utilised by which the person involved with it either directly or indirectly shall have any commercial benefit or any other benefit.
The court said there shall not be dramatisation of the national anthem and it should not be included as a part of any variety show. It said “to think of a dramatised exhibition of the national anthem is absolutely inconceivable. National anthem or a part of it shall not be printed on any object and also never be displayed in such a manner at such places which may be disgraceful to its status and tantamount to disrespect. It is because when the national anthem is sung, the concept of protocol associated with it has its inherent roots in national identity, national integrity and constitutional patriotism.”
The court said “All the cinema halls in India shall play the national anthem before the feature film starts and all present in the hall are obliged to stand up to show respect to the anthem.
“Prior to the national anthem is played or sung in the cinema hall on the screen, the entry and exit doors shall remain closed so that no one can create any kind of disturbance which will amount to disrespect to the national anthem. After the national anthem is played or sung, the doors can be opened. When the national anthem shall be played in the Cinema Halls, it shall be with the national flag on the screen. The abridged version of the national anthem made by anyone for whatever reason shall not be played or displayed.”
The Bench said these directions are issued, for love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the national anthem as well as to the national flag.
That apart, it would instil the feeling within one, a sense committed patriotism and nationalism. It said it is clear as crystal that it is the sacred obligation of every citizen to abide by the ideals engrafted in the Constitution. And one such ideal is to show respect for the National Anthem and the National Flag.
