Forced Jingoism Or True Nationalistic Pride?

Ironically, playing the national anthem before a movie is not as ‘Indian’ as one would imagine, rather it is a very British thing! Ages ago, before independence, ‘God save the Queen’, the British anthem would be played at the movie halls in all British colonies after the movie. Then comes along our independence in 1947 and naturally, as with many other aspects of what we considered ‘good governance’, we continued the same British practice, albeit with our own ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

The national anthem is not just a song, it is the voice of a nation. It deserves our respect. Period. But are we giving it that level of respect when it is played right before a commercial movie where vulgarity, violence and general societal disrespect go hand-in-hand with religious

But are we giving it that level of respect when it is played right before a commercial movie where vulgarity, violence and general societal disrespect go hand-in-hand with religious fervour and family values? Or are we reminding all for the next three hours that irrespective of what genre of movie is being telecast, we are at the core one nation – a culmination of various sensibilities and languages. On an individual level, how does it affect us? Is it an affirmation of our patriotism and nationalistic pride or is it a farce? Vizagites opine.

Mo’iz Qutbi: It’s absolutely unnecessary to have to prove your patriotism at the movie theatre. It’s like you stand up for the national anthem and then ogle at Sunny Leone. I’m not against singing the anthem, but, patriotism is supposed to come from within, not shoved down our throats like this.

Vaishnavi Lalitha: I think it’s a good act because after schooling, everyone’s forgotten about the anthem and theatres are the place where people of all ages including the youth visit. In fact, some students even bunk their classes to watch a movie. So, it’s the best place to inculcate a bit of national fervour.

Vaibhav Sisinty: Many people are talking about forced patriotism when it comes to the recent Supreme Court law. I believe it’s a simple initiative to make sure people remember their country more often, not just on Independence and Republic day. I always have liked standing for our national anthem and song at school, and am glad that I will be getting a chance to do it again.

Supreet Kaur Handa: It is time that the citizens of the country realise that they live in a nation and are duty bound to show respect to the national anthem, which is the symbol of the constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality. Nationalism doesn’t just mean standing up for the national anthem, it means standing up for your country, for what’s right. So, encourage that. While we show pride in being an Indian and when an Indian wins an international title or award, we are still very confused on how to show respect to the national anthem and national flag in our own country. Standing up to your country’s national anthem is not to prove patriotism but to instil the feeling of love and respect for your motherland.