Audience need not stand up when Anthem played in Films: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Feb 14, 2017: It was clarified by the Supreme Court today that the audience need not stand up when the National Anthem is played as a part of the story-line of a film, documentary or newsreel.

According to PTI reports, A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi made this much-anticipated clarification after one of the petitioners said that the apex court should clarify if people are supposed to stand when the National Anthem is being played in a film, newsreel or documentary.

"It is clarified that when the National Anthem is played as part of the storyline of a film, newsreel or a documentary the audience need not stand," the bench stated.

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The matter has been fixed for further hearing on April 18 by the bench, which said the issue raised by petitioners needs to be debated.

On November 30 last year, cinema halls across the nation were ordered by the apex court to mandatorily play the National Anthem before the screening of any movie . The audience had to stand up during the anthem and show respect.

This order had come on the PIL filed by one Shyam Narayan Chouksey seeking directions that National Anthem should be played in cinema halls across the country before the beginning of a film and proper norms and protocol should be fixed when it comes to the playing and singing of the National Anthem at official functions and events in the presence of those holding constitutional office.

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It had also been observed by the apex court, while passing a slew of directions that "time has come when citizens must realise they live in a nation and are bound by duty to show respect to National Anthem which is a symbol of constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality."

It had also mentioned that, "When one shows respect to the National Anthem as well as to the National Flag, love and respect for the motherland is reflected".

Printing of the anthem or part of it on any object and showcasing it in such a manner at certain places which may be "disgraceful to its status and tantamount to disrespect" had been barred by the orders of the court. Playing or displaying an "abridged version" of the anthem had also been strictly prohibited.

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The apex court has been approached by various other petitioners. The court has tagged them with and the bench has tagged with the main petition.

– prepared by Durba Mandal of NewsGram. Twitter: @dubumerang