Centre urges SC to modify order on playing of anthem in halls
NEW DELHI: In a change of stand, the Centre on Monday suggested the Supreme Court to modify its earlier order making it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem before screening of a feature film.
It said an inter-ministerial committee has been set up as framing of guidelines describing circumstances and occasions on which the national anthem is to be played or sung, and observance of proper decorum on such occassions requires extensive consultations.
The government said the top court may "consider the restoration of status quo ante until then i.e restoration of the position as it stood before the order passed by this court on November 30, 2016" as it mandates the playing of the National Anthem in all cinemas before the feature film starts.
The government said it has decided to constitute an interministerial committee headed by Additional Secretary (Border Management), Ministry of Home Affairs, with representatives from various other ministries, including the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Culture, Woman and Child Development and Parliamentary Affairs.
It would also have represen- tatives of Ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Minority Affairs, Department of Legal Affairs, Department of School Education and Literacy and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability, the affidavit filed by Centre said.
It said the committee has to consider a wide range of issues relating to the national anthem, and have extensive discussions with various ministries. The committee will give its recommendations in six months from the date of its constitution, it said.
The Centre in its four-page affidavit said upon consideration of the recommendation made by the panel, the government may bring out the requisite notification or circular or rules in this regard, if required.
During the hearing on a PIL on October 23, Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, had said India was a diverse country and the national anthem needed to be played in cinema halls to bring in uniformity.
He had said it should be left open to the government to take a call on its own discretion on whether the anthem should be played in theatres and whether people should stand up for it.
The apex court had then observed that people do not need to stand up in the cinema halls to prove their patriotism and asked the Centre to consider amending the rules for regulating playing of the national anthem in the theatres.
It had observed that it cannot be assumed that if a person does not stand up for the national anthem, he is "less patriotic" and the people "cannot be forced to carry patriotism on their sleeves."