Actor Kamal Haasan has given his two cents on the whole debate of playing the National Anthem in movie halls. Taking to Twitter, Haasan compared how the Singapore government functions, describing it as a “benevolent dictatorship”.
Singapore plays it’s national anthem every midnight.Likewise do so on DD. Do not force or test my patriotism at various random places.
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) October 24, 2017
The reason Singapore crops up in arguments is because it is a benovelent dictatorship according to some critics. Do we we want that. No pls
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) October 24, 2017
His take on patriotism stems from what the Supreme Court said on Monday. It stated that one needn’t stand up for the National Anthem in movie halls to prove their patriotism. Further, the Supreme Court has requested the Centre to consider amending the rules to regulate the playing of the National Anthem before a film.
PTI News reports that a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the next time “the government will want people to stop wearing T-shirts and shorts to cinemas saying this would disrespect the National Anthem.” The bench further said that it will not allow the government to “shoot from its shoulder” and asked it to take a call either way on the issue of regulating the playing of the anthem before a film.
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The debate of standing for the National Anthem in movie halls was reignited after a petition was filed by Kodungallur Film Society, Kerala to recall the November order passed on a PIL filed last year by one Shyam Narayan Chouksey seeking directions that the National Anthem should be played in all the cinema halls before a film begins.
The court has asked the Centre to consider taking a call by 9 January on amending the National Flag code for regulating the playing of National Anthem in cinema halls across the country.