Sunday, May 04, 2008

OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM- the lost glory

ANTHEM- A song of devotion or loyalty.
The dictionary says that the national anthem is a song of devotion or loyalty- Devotion and loyalty towards your nation- the nation where you live in, the nation that you live for.

The national anthem is something that does not only signify your loyalty towards the nation but incorporates in itself the whole nationality of a nation. The complete ideologies or even the existence of the nation is determined by its national anthem. Respecting the national anthem is respecting the nation. BUT, DO WE REALLY RESPECT OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM?


A few years back the question of disrespect to the national anthem was once put in front of the govt. the govt as it should have done, took some initiatives towards it. Are these initiatives paying off, can only be known after some time evolves with these initiatives. In the meantime, the private firms like owners of multiplexes also took a step towards giving back its glory to the national anthem. They started playing the national anthem before every film. I don't know whether this step is paying off or not but I know one fact that in someways or other it is even acting in the opposite direction aggravating the disrespect to the national anthem.

On a weekend after a whole week of tiredness, hectic schedules and all the tensions of work, a man goes to a theatre to watch a movie. Not only to watch the movie but to enjoy the weekend, to forget all his griefs of the last week and to refresh and prepare himself for the same grievances the next week. He goes to the ticket counter, stands in the queue for quite sometime, struggles and finally books a ticket for himself. He gets the ticket in his hand and his face lights up as if he has got the ticket to the heaven. He enters the hall, sits on the well cushioned seats with his share of popcorn and cold-drink. Trailers of some films and advertisements start coming. As he starts enjoying his time in the hall, just before the start of the movie a message comes on the screen "please stand up in respect to the national anthem". Suddenly what comes out from the mouth of the man is "not again". His whole jovial mood is spoiled in a fraction of a second with the sight of the message. It happens everytime he comes to enjoy the movie.

The whole hall stands up with nobody wanting to. Is it the kind of respect that we are supposed to give to our national anthem or to our nation? Is it the motto of this step taken by the theatre owners? May be all the person sitting in the hall are to be blamed for their reaction to the anthem but its a normal behaviour of any person if is mood is spoilt like that. If a man has come to watch a patriotic movie, then the national anthem is not going to spoil his mood rather it will add to the patriotic feeling of the man. But if he has come to enjoy a hot movie, the national anthem is always going to spoil the mood of a majority of the public. The playing of the national anthem in such cases is not going to increase, in any sort, the respect of the public towards it. In my opinion, it is something a bigger disrespect to the anthem to incorporate the feeling of sadness of a large chunk of public towards it than just not showing respect to it. Its better to not to respect at all the national anthem than to disrespect it.

I dont know who is to be blamed for this but the ultimate sufferer is our national anthem and our nation as a whole. So lets put up a point here to try and give back its glory to the national anthem that it commands in all the aspects. lets all come together and stand and cheer for the national anthem.

JAI HIND

3 comments:

Aashu said...

After going through my own post, I don't think I have done much justice to the topic that i had chosen. The topic certainly deserves a more serious and honest effort than what I gave it. I am sorry about my lack of effort but i cant help it. I am really sorry.human.a

Alok said...

haha aashu, apne blog pe apna hi comment...khud self-criticism. :)


I think you have raised an important point, it is applicable to other spheres of our lives too. When symbols and rituals take a life of their own, apart from their actual meanings or their original intentions. Patriotism is an idea - one may agree if it is good and nobel or else it is bad and evil, i personally think it to be the latter - but even after that when one shows respect to these symbols and performs these rituals, one is not moved by the original idea... it is like a robot programmed to work like that. same thing is with religion too. just perform ritual mindlessly and feel good - that's how it goes.

I think it is an extremely stupid idea - playing of anthems in commercial places like multiplexes, I didn't know it was a regular practice. Is it some law or something like that?

Shri Ram Ayyangar said...

The playing of National Anthem in cinema halls was introduced long before multiplexes introduced. It was discontinued because the scant respect shown by cine goers. But, as an Indian, when you feel proud of the country you live in, whats' wrong ?