I had talked about Rahman and Bharatbala leveraging the sheer musical value of our national anthem, recently. It has now taken a ridiculous turn with a Chennai-based retired inspector filing a PIL against Rahman and Airtel’s Sunil Mittal. One of the complaints seem to be, “when this ‘remix’ was telecast, viewers were in various positions and thus unable to pay respect due prescribed…This amounts to dishonoring the anthem”. Holy crap! Apart from the fact that the anthem requires our respect from our heart, than the feet, the point behind honoring it when played should be linked to the circumstances and surroundings in which it is being played. If there’s a protocol that everytime the anthem enters your aural range you are supposed to stand still to respect it, I personally feel that such a protocol is completely beyond the scope of common sense. Hey, I’m crossing the road and the school on the opposite side starts playing the anthem just as I’m rushing away from a speeding lorry. So, I suppose I will die a martyr, huh? I’m utterly surprised that my joke of standing everytime the telly plays Rahman’s version is considered seriously enough worth a PIL!
Note: This PIL has been thrown out of the window by the court. Deservedly so!
