National Anthem, National Song
Abracadabra By K. B. Ganapathy, Columns

National Anthem, National Song

December 28, 2017

For a country National Emblem, Standard, Flag and Anthem are symbols of national sovereignty and, therefore, every citizen — minority community or majority — must respect them and abide by the protocol relating to them.

In our country, National Anthem or National Song feuds took centre-stage even during Freedom Struggle and sadly for India even after Independence.

It was some Muslim members in the Congress and the Muslim League who did not accept Vande Mataram as National Song, at one time considered for National Anthem, and refused to sing it. Even after partition made on the basis that Muslims of undivided India could not co-exist with Hindus politically, the minority Muslims in India (a large number of them) continued to resist Vande Mantaram. But India as a unique “Secular Democracy” did not take the issue seriously or call it a feud — both UPA and NDA. So far so good. A tolerant country compared to its two neighbouring Islamic countries — Pakistan and Bangladesh.

While musing on these religion-based assertions of minorities in India, I was wanting to know if National Anthem has become an issue or feud in any other country in the world. And to my surprise it has. In our country the playing of National Anthem in cinema theatres still remains an issue with the majority, minority and the judiciary. Hence, my interest in finding out how other countries are answering this question.

In America National Anthem became an issue between the President Donald Trump and some NFL players when the latter were kneeling (instead of standing) during the Anthem to protest racial inequality and Police brutality.

Following this, political leaders and Governments in other countries are taking stronger steps to defend the honour of their National Anthems.

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In October last, soccer fans in Hong Kong turned their backs during playing of China’s National Anthem. It is not known what action communist China took against these fans. However, China’s National Anthem law went into effect on October 1. The law covers Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Under this law those who mock or insult the country’s Anthem will be punished with prison term of up to three years.

In Philippines a Filipino man was arrested on Nov. 18 for refusing to stand while the National Anthem was played at a movie theatre. Punishment: Fine up to $2000 and jail term.

In Turkey, when in a purge  the Government sacked the teachers, they then went on hunger strike and began holding demonstration singing the National Anthem.

The Government outlawed “singing of the National Anthem in a disturbing way,” last September. I think in India we too must take some steps to punish those who mock or disrespect our Anthem in the name of religion, secularism or freedom of choice or political ideology or what have you.

As Dr. B.R. Ambedkar says, if the country loses, who wins? Disrespect to National Anthem and National Flag is the first step towards weakening the sovereignty of a country. We are warned.

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2 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “National Anthem, National Song”

  1. Thethreewisemen says:

    The issue with national anthem is unique in India, as Muslims despised Vande Mataram as it salutes India as mata ( mother); Nehru and Congress placated them and they got away too with special personal,laws , where a Muslim can marry as many women as he could, produce children and still with such large numbers and privileges, these Muslims in India want to remain as minorities to milk yet more privileges. To compare this with other countries where the issues in regards to their national anthems are transient is ridiculous, and poor journalism. India has Muslims in such large numbers that it qualifies as the second most Islamic country in the world after Indonesia.

  2. Peter says:

    Dr. Peter Hammond is director of “Frontline Fellowship” South Africa, he was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1960, grew up in Rhodesia and converted to Christianity.
    Here are the excerpts from his book ! Compare it with the reality and find out for yourself, all this cry about India’s intolerance about freedom of religion, democracy, secularism and all the accusations are a part of a grand scheme and Congress has been milking it for 6 decades! No wonder the success of Modi as a true nationalist scares them all.

    Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% sys- tem of social-control.

    Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The reli- gious component is a beard for all of the other components.

    Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their reli- gious privileges. When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.

    Here’s how it works:

    As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to other citizens.

    This is the case in: United States 0.6%+

    Australia Canada China Italy Norway

    1.9%+
    1.9%
    1.8%
    1.5%
    1.8% Muslim

    At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.

    This is happening in: Denmark 2%
    Belgium 4%
    Germany 3.7%
    United Kingdom 2.7% Spain 4%
    Thailand 4.6% Muslim

    From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply.

    This is occurring in: France 8% Philippines 5%

    When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris, we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non -muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Am- sterdam, with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:

    Guyana India Israel Kenya Russia

    10%
    13.4%
    16%
    10%
    15% Muslim

    After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues as in:

    Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%

    At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing mi- litia warfare, such as in:

    Bosnia Chad Lebanon

    40%
    53.1%
    59.7% Muslim

    From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:

    Albania Malaysia Qatar Sudan

    70%
    60.4% 77.5%
    70% Muslim

    After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some state-run ethnic cleans- ing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:

    Bangladesh 83% Egypt — 90% Gaza 98.7% Indonesia 86.1% Iran 98% Iraq 97% Jordan 92% Morocco 98.7% Pakistan 97%

    100% will usher in the peace of ‚Dar-es-Salaam‘ — the Islamic House of Peace. Here there’s supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the madrassas are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:

    Afghanistan 100% Saudi Arabia 100% Somalia 100%

    Yemen

    100% Muslim

    Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.

    ‚Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. — Leon Uris, ‚The Haj‘

    It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim popula- tions, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law.

    The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate in to the community at large. The children attend madrassas. They learn only the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death.

    Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.

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