National Anthem be played in all cinema halls, all must rise and pay respect: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that National Anthems must be played in all the cinema halls across the country. SC ordered for playing of National Anthem before the film starts accompanied by the showing of National Flag on screen.

SC also stated that everyone present in the cinema halls must rise at the time of National Anthem playing and show respect towards it. The full version should be played and not the edited part of the anthem. Also, that the National Anthem cannot be played in between the film for any commercial benefit, SC has directed reportedly.

SC directed Centre that the order should be given effect in a week's time and be circulated to all the states and UTs. Also stating that there should not be dramatisation of the
national anthem and that it should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects.

"People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said while stressing that it is the duty of every citizen of the country to show respect to the national anthem and the flag. "At the root of protocol for national anthem, is respect for national identity, integrity and constitutional patriotism," the bench said while directing the Centre that the order should be given effect in a week's time and be circulated to all States and Union Territories through chief secretaries.

It also said no person should take commercial benefits by playing the anthem and that it should not be dramatised. The apex court said the anthem should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects, and also barred it from being played on variety shows and its abridged version anywhere. Directing that its order be shown in electronic and print media and be followed in letter and spirit, the court said, "Time has come when people should feel they live in a nation" and "even in Shastras, nationalism was accepted."

The court's directions came on a PIL filed by Shyam Narayan Chouksey seeking directions that the national anthem should be played in cinema halls across the country before a film begins and proper norms and protocol be fixed regarding its playing and singing at official functions and the programmes where constitutional dignitaries are present. The apex court had last month issued notice to the Centre asking it to specify what would constitute disrespect to the national anthem.

Earlier, while promoting film 'Pink' megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Shoojit Sircar too had backed the demand to make the playing of National Anthem compulsory in halls. 

(With PTI inputs)