BJP talks of nationalism, hope it will make national anthem in cinema halls mandatory again: Petitioner

bhopal

Updated: Jan 10, 2018 17:00 IST

Retired engineer Shyam Narayan Chouksey’s petition made lakhs of people stand in cinemas as the national anthem was played before commencement of movies for more than a year across the country. That was after a Supreme Court order in 2016.

However, the apex court’s modified order on Tuesday, making the national anthem optional in cinema halls, has not disappointed the Bhopal-based Chouksey.

Reacting to the court order, Chouksey said the top court modified its order at the request of the central government which said it had constituted an inter-ministerial committee to look into the subject.

He said whenever the central government issued any notification to seek public’s opinion and suggestions in this regard he would make a representation as to why playing of national anthem in cinema halls should be made mandatory.

“Since (the) BJP talks of nationalism and patriotism. I hope the central government will make it mandatory again,” said Chouksey.

“Since cinema is a state subject I will also meet chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to make a request to him that he should make mandatory playing of national anthem in cinema halls and educational institutions,” he added.

Chouksey, however, said it was unfortunate that only cinema halls figure in media in context of the national anthem. “My petition was to make mandatory singing of national anthem in all educational institutions too,” he said.

Since the national anthem was made mandatory in cinema halls, it had infused a sense of communal harmony and brotherhood in society as people from all castes and community watched movies together, he said.

The 78-year-old retired civil engineer runs an NGO, Gandhivadhi Manch. He filed a petition in 2002 in the high court raising objection against the commercial use of national anthem.

He said that while watching a movie, the Shahrukh Khan-starrer Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, in a cinema hall in Bhopal he saw only a few people standing up when the national anthem was sung in the film.