Apex Court's right course

The Apex Court of India's clarification, that the audience need not stand when the National Anthem is played or screened in the storyline of a feature film or part of a newsreel or documentary, is taken as a right development because of its earlier orders that has caused ample confusion among the cine-goers.

Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi modified and clarified Court's earlier orders after amicus curiae clarified and Attorney General accepting the suggestions that people are not expected to stand when the National Anthem is sung or played as a part of the storyline in a film, newsreel or documentary.

Supreme court referred to the provisions of the new legislation ‘The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and said that the Centre may come out with a notification within a week on the lines of its interim order passed on December 9 last year.

On that day, the apex court had modified its earlier order by exempting physically handicapped persons from standing when the national anthem was played before the screening of a movie in cinema halls across the nation.

The bench observed that in view of the suggestions, the matter required further debate and it is clarified that when the National Anthem is sung or played in the storyline of a feature film or part of the newsreel or documentary, apart from what has been stated in the order dated November 30, 2016, the audience need not stand,” the bench said. It other words, the apex court has stayed the operation of its earlier order and for further reference to the larger bench to take a final view..

It is welcome sign that SC has taken such a view that the order has to be debated. It may be correct. It may be not correct. So it is prudent that the matter be sent to the constitution bench for deciding it once for all..