SC Hears Plea To Recall Order Making National Anthem Must In Theatres

SC judge Justice D.Y. Chandrachud has asked the Centre to reconsider its decision of making it compulsory for people to stand when the National Anthem is played in theatres.

Justice Chandrachud was part of a three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, that was hearing the petition. The Kodungalloor Film Society in Kerala filed the plea to recall the November order.

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Justice Chandrachud asked, "Why doesn't the Centre amend the law? Why should the burden be thrown on the judiciary? Tomorrow you will say ban people from wearing T-shirts and shorts to the cinema hall because it's an insult to National Anthem. Where do you draw a line? Where does this moral policing stop?"

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"People go to cinema halls for undiluted entertainment. Why should we make choices for them? Why should we assume that if someone doesn't stand up for anthem in the cinema hall, he is not patriotic?" - Justice Chandrachud

"Next thing will be that people should not wear T-shirts and shorts to movies because it will amount to disrespect to the National Anthem... where do we stop this moral policing?" Justice Chandrachud said.

He pointed out that patriotism is instilled by a larger democratic and political process and not by making the National Anthem mandatory in cinema halls.

The Centre, represented by Attorney General KK Venugopal, was bent upon going with the earlier order. He said that it shouldn't be modified

"Ours is a country with vast diversity of religion, region, race and caste. It becomes necessary to have a unifying force. By playing National Anthem, people can come out believing we are all Indians," he said.

The court said it is upto the government to decide whether the playing the National Anthem should be made mandatory in cinema halls. The next date of the hearing is January 9, 2018.

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