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| Pic courtesy-blog.blogcatalog.com |
Picture this in a picture hall, or to be appropriate ,you are in the theater on a lazy Sunday afternoon- The males clad most probably, in comfortable Bermuda shorts, the ladies -in skirts,halter necks, capris etc etc- I am sure you get the picture well. In short a perfect afternoon to chill out with a movie. The movie is just about to begin, you have already started chomping on your popcorns, the baby snuggling comfortably on your belly to have a good afternoon nap and your wife/girlfriend just starting to sip her lemonade, the old couple resting their old limbs to enjoy this block buster family movie, the couple at the dark corner getting cosy cosy -And then! Just then the screen screams- All rise for the National Anthem! There starts a minor chaos- Some poor soul exclaims "shit!" people clamor to prove that they are not unpatriotic - the popcorn flies from someone's lap as he/ she jumps up from the seat. The baby wails as the poor thing has been jerked awake by a sudden movement. The couple jumps up bewildered. The Uncle ji and Auntiji painfully rises up. Some one spills the hot coffee while someone else yelps in pain... And the National Anthem plays on in the background. Funny?
NOT at all. I am very much an Indian and my heart swells with pride when I see it on top - when it wins the world cup, when the common wealth games goes well, when Rehman wins the Oscars etc etc. I get all teary eyed with emotion when I listen to Vande Mataram, But I protest the playing of the National Anthem at any and all places irrespective of its correlation. When you have the common sense not to play Shiela ki Jawani at an independence day celebration or at a scientific conference or even at a prayer meeting , why the hell don't you get that, people , when in mood to chill out on a Sunday afternoon , the national anthem may be the furthest thing on their minds even if they are the most patriotic of the lot. If that is a way of instilling patriotism, then it is a poor method and you are very much to blame for the exclamation of "shit!' before the revered National Anthem. It is equally a crime from my point of view to play the National Anthem at places which are not appropriate as far as the sentiments of the National Anthem are concerned and Malls, Bars, Discotheques, beaches etc are a total no-no as far as that goes.It does not make sense to be played at this places, unless and until it has a special celebration theme planned for the Independence day. And for once I am very much sympathetic to them with the frustrated bitter glances that you elicited from the crowd by your over zealous patriotism inducing tactics.I don't blame at all those few persons who defiantly remained seated because they had a point .Has it occurred to you that in your efforts to induce Nationalism or whatever Nationalistic feelings you might be trying to project, you are actually just doing the opposite. So please , the next time I watch a movie like the Pirates of the Caribbean, I wouldn't like to be jerked out of my pre movie trance by your insensitivity and stupidity, no matter how honorable your intentions might be. For Nationalism, we have schools, sports, offices, facebook and twitter. Thanks but you really needn't worry about that
NOT at all. I am very much an Indian and my heart swells with pride when I see it on top - when it wins the world cup, when the common wealth games goes well, when Rehman wins the Oscars etc etc. I get all teary eyed with emotion when I listen to Vande Mataram, But I protest the playing of the National Anthem at any and all places irrespective of its correlation. When you have the common sense not to play Shiela ki Jawani at an independence day celebration or at a scientific conference or even at a prayer meeting , why the hell don't you get that, people , when in mood to chill out on a Sunday afternoon , the national anthem may be the furthest thing on their minds even if they are the most patriotic of the lot. If that is a way of instilling patriotism, then it is a poor method and you are very much to blame for the exclamation of "shit!' before the revered National Anthem. It is equally a crime from my point of view to play the National Anthem at places which are not appropriate as far as the sentiments of the National Anthem are concerned and Malls, Bars, Discotheques, beaches etc are a total no-no as far as that goes.It does not make sense to be played at this places, unless and until it has a special celebration theme planned for the Independence day. And for once I am very much sympathetic to them with the frustrated bitter glances that you elicited from the crowd by your over zealous patriotism inducing tactics.I don't blame at all those few persons who defiantly remained seated because they had a point .Has it occurred to you that in your efforts to induce Nationalism or whatever Nationalistic feelings you might be trying to project, you are actually just doing the opposite. So please , the next time I watch a movie like the Pirates of the Caribbean, I wouldn't like to be jerked out of my pre movie trance by your insensitivity and stupidity, no matter how honorable your intentions might be. For Nationalism, we have schools, sports, offices, facebook and twitter. Thanks but you really needn't worry about that
So was that a rant? Of course it was! Because I am furious at the obvious disrespect to the National Anthem and horrors of all, that too before the movie Ragini MMS!!!
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