Last week Shashi Tharoor unknowingly initiated a series of debates that demonstrated how "stuck" many of us are. The media, always hungry for something sensational, pounced on this opportunity greedily and one of the news channels actually devoted a few minutes of prime time to call in an "expert" for his views. The expert, a retired army officer, was asked by the news anchor, if the British way (at attention) or the American way (hand on heart, as demonstrated by Shashi) was more appropriate. The army officer, characteristically, went on to mention that the Indian Constitution clearly outlines the Indian way which is the stand at attention. He also went on to say that if needed the constitution can be amended (as was done recently to permit people to hoist flags on private buildings) to permit a different way from the current way but till then we must all only do it the Indian way.
Made me wonder, what does our national anthem mean? Is posture or presentation more important than how one really feels? We have so many leaders, displaying the right stance in public and privately indulging in activities that would be a disgrace by any standard.
So what's more important, what you project or what you truly feel? And if India is a democracy and as citizens if we have a fundamental right of expression, can you curb me and call me an anti-national just because I choose to pay respect to my country in a manner that is different from the constitutional way - only in form and not in spirit?
both the spirit and expression are important. If it is spirit, it should reflect in expression. does freedom of expression mean that i can say, do and act the way I want or does it mean that i am allowed to responsibly say what I want? I think it is the latter. Yes spirit is very important but you have to monitor your expression. There are thousands of indians who will not even know all the words of our anthem, but if you say you know it, you need to do it right
ReplyDeleteHand over heart or attention? This is what we've been reduced to. Digs at the media aside it was the British that first proclaimed that one must stand in attention when singing the National Anthem (they were referring to their own of course), just like it was for their Queen Victoria that our anthem was written to begin with. What we're discussing here isn't a constitutional right, so really it's just another episode of America vs the Great Britain. But to delve in to that would be to regurgitate a long and overly political saga.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that to Feel is the most important and the task at hand is to evoke this sense of feeling (patriotism in this case)and not to attempt to homogenise the mode of expression.
There's a beautiful video i often see at a local theater that is a montage of clips of officers of the Indian army posted in Siachen, Kashmir. I was with a friend of mine the first time i saw the video and i have never felt as much pride and guilt surge through my veins. I might, in retrospect, call it patriotism. I had tears in my eyes, so did my friend. A couple two rows forward seemed to echo our sentiments; they were holding hands. As the last note sounded the man kissed his wife's hand. Not a soul in that theatre stood in attention but the Jai Hind, never meant more.
There is no right and wrong in matters of the heart and to decree what constitutes freedom of expression makes the argument null and void from the very beginning.
That's the video:
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=S8HS2qExgLQ&feature=PlayList&p=D7140185FB598723&playnext=1&index=17
The feeling is important, and must be "activated" when our National anthem is being played. As with other things in life, Standing in Attention is also important - that is the way the constitution asks us to do; unless we change it.
ReplyDeleteSample this, can you say "I Care About you" in an angry tone, and mean the same? Something we all have been taught in sales again and again!! It is not enough to feel "I Care" , and say it an angry tone; the meaning is totally different.
IT IS IMPORTANT to show respect for your national anthem.... the way it is supposed to be done.... How can you say that you are an Army Officer, Feel respect for the Nation, And while Marching do not follow the Marching Orders/Posture; Just feeling is not Enough...
Perhaps for me the contest was just not about the indian flag, patriotism, or right way to pay respect.
ReplyDeleteI think this has become a fundamental oximoron in India- what started as a norm became a stringent law, and today we try to forcibly enforce the stringent law without undertsanding the spirit with which it was laid.
The more basic worry in my mind is: should only the fear of punishment force us to behave a particular way, and have we now come to a level where the slightest deviation in accepted behaviour (by another person) is a personal source to showcase how effecient + well bevahed + proper we are?
does it really matter what mean we chose to show respect to our country.. may be not, should we follow our constitution i feel we should. To be honest, i am open to the idea of choosing one's own way of showing respect...but if the own way is the aping of some other country which we consciously or unconsciously think is something to look up to; then am no ok..
ReplyDeletewe do not have to “borrow” our expressions from other countries or people.
So did he really do it to show respect in this style, or has he got too used to doing the same for US Anthem that by default he used for his own country’s anthem? That is the more important question. Am not suggesting there was any deliberate attempt to disrespect the anthem or be anti Indian…. But was it really issue of freedom of expression or just a case of the subconscious mind taking over????