"It is with in my rights to sit while the national anthem is playing...what's the big deal anyways!!"
"But it's your duty to stand in respect!"
Reminds me of the many discussions I had on similar lines in DSchool(where else) while in college - what is the point of having a parade that costs millions and means nothing...should one be allowed to wear a dress designed to look like the national flag but actually doesn't measure up(dimensions for example, or swim suits?). Should one be allowed to burn the national flag in protest?
I think it's all symbolic. The flag, the anthem, the constitution are symbols; symbols of our national spirit; something that the citizens can associate with; another way of defining nationality.
Do we really need to bother about them? It's just like asking a devout Hindu the point of worshipping an idol when god is free of form...and he will tell you that the idol is just a representation meant to - help him grasp the enormity of the idea, to help him channelize his thoughts...
Coming back to college discussions, the most interesting was about the burning of the flag...freedom of expression or vandalism? We never reached any consensus...as was generally the case with all our discussions...:) A more funny discussion was about clothes designed as flags...a female friend was very strongly in favor of it being allowed...when my friend Shehzaad quietly asked if she was comfortable with the idea of a Pakistani wearing swimming trunks with the tricolor...it was nice to see her switch to our side...:))
Man, do I miss those heated discussions or what...good old college days...(sigh!)
"Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times..."
[High Hopes by Pink Floyd]
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7 comments:
Like you say, I think symbolism is important for mere mortals to grasp the enormity of situations. Why do we touch the feet of elders, why do women wear sindoor, why do we fast for Pujas.....a lot of questions that do not warrant a scientific answer or rationale. Things we do because it's part of our culture, our society....things we want to do or just do them because that is how we show respect. I think symbols are important. Atleast to me.
P.S. Had a good laugh while reading your last post. Never understood abbreviations and probably never will.
i am completely in favour of allowing tricolor garments for the same reasons of symbolism. i would feel proud to sport a tricolor shirt at a cricket match.
and don't you think it is too far fetched to not do it because of the hypothetical possibility of a pakistani using tricolor swimming trunks? do you stop singing the national anthem because a pakistani might listen to it and remix it? it's absurd!!
and do pakis even need indian law permission to wear tricolor swimming trunks anyway? how are the two things even connected?!!
i think apurv's right.. if a Pakistani guy wants to disrespect our national flag, he wouldn't ask us.. maybe it's already happened.. we wudnt even noe.
Though i do agree that the flag is something which shudn't be treated like anything else.. it is not something which u can wear as a dress.. though to have a it on ur dress.. in symbolic way..would be diff. like having a flag made on ur shirt sleeve or the front wud b different..and wudnt b disrespectful i feel..
@ m : I agree
@ Apurv & Neha : I never said that don't have it on garments at all...I was just remembering the point raised by Shehzaad. Infact if you remember, we discussed once the banning of the Mtv logo as it "looked" like the tricolor...I had no issues with that or with the tricolor being represented in clothes.
The discussion occured when some Ramani wore a dress bearing the stripes and the wheel of the tri-colour. Remember? And yes I didnt like that...the point that Shehzaad was making was that it has to remain aesthetic, thats why he used such an extreme and funny example...
The post is more abt our national symbols and the expected protocols. The point I was trying to make was that it wouldn't make one any smaller if he/she stood while the anthem was playing even if it doesnt make sense to him/her.
And Apurv watching a cricket match?:)
Food for Thought. But then again, I personally wudnt like if someone didnt stand up while the National Anthem is being played... :).
How you doing Sid??
oh!seems to be a nostalgic post...whatever, the point that you have raised is quite controversial and me with my humble wisdom do also support endowing some amount of respect to our nation and nationality...yeh! school and college days are always so much of fun and excitement :-)
what's up with ur blog?
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