THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 2, 2016- Topic 2
Patriotism is a value that most people cherish without being required to demonstrate
it in visible ways. Unfortunately, a notion has emerged in the country that it
ought to be articulated frequently, demonstrated publicly and enforced in such
a manner that it will be an object lesson to the odd dissenter. Given this, it
is hard to understand the rationale for the Supreme
Court’s order that every cinema hall
should play the national anthem before the exhibition of a film. India has
given itself an anthem easily recognised as a lofty and moving rendering of the
country’s oneness amidst diversity. It hardly requires judicial promotion. The
singing of the national anthem on special occasions, especially in schools and
colleges, is sufficient to help citizens identify the anthem with something
larger than their daily concerns. There are clear rules on when the anthem
should be played. Any misuse of the anthem or any wilful insult to it is
legally prohibited, and those aggrieved by any such incident can take recourse
to the law. Beyond this, in a mature democracy such as India, there really is
no need to make the playing or the singing of the anthem mandatory through a
judicial order.
It is not clear why cinema
halls were singled out for special treatment by the Supreme Court. The only
possible explanation is that they were required to play the national anthem
some decades ago, a practice that has been largely given up. But if the logic
for playing the national anthem at places where a sizeable number of people
congregate is taken to its logical conclusion, they should be extended, for
example, to dance and music recitals as well. To take this line of reasoning
even further, why not to every sitting of the legislature, or the court itself?
Playing the national anthem in theatres at the end of the film was given up
some three decades ago in most parts of the country, largely as a result of the
tendency of a section of the audience to walk out. To reintroduce it now gives
the impression that cinemas should forever be the main sites for the
demonstration of patriotism. Matters such as commercial exploitation and
dramatisation of the anthem cannot be the subject of blanket interim orders in
a public interest petition. The appeal to a sense of ‘constitutional
patriotism’ is also intriguing, as the only reasonable interpretation of the
term is that of having allegiance to the values underlying the Constitution.
This is not something that can be enforced by judicial diktat, or by making
cinema halls the playground for a misplaced sense of patriotism.
Vocabulary
Cherish: protect and care for (someone) lovingly.
Example: He cared for me beyond measure and cherished me in his heart
Synonyms: adore, hold
dear, love, dote on, be devoted to, revere, esteem
Articulated: having two or more sections connected by a flexible joint.
Example: Eight articulated trailer coaches
Synonyms: hinged, jointed, segmented, coupled, attached, interlocked
Dissenter: a person who dissents.
Example: You see, it wasn't until I came out as a dissenter against certain policies
of the left-wing political establishment that I learned what it is like to be
on the ‘wrong side’ of an issue
Rationale: a set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or a particular
belief.
Example: He explained the rationale behind the change
Synonyms: reason(s), reasoning, thinking, logic, grounds, sense, principle
Aggrieved: feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated.
Example: They were aggrieved at the outcome
Synonyms: resentful, affronted, indignant, disgruntled, discontented, upset
Congregate: gather into a crowd or mass.
Example: Some 4000 demonstrators had congregated at a border point
Synonyms: assemble, gather, collect,
convene, rally, rendezvous
Recitals: the performance of a program of music by a solo instrumentalist or singer
or by a small group.
Example: A piano recital
Synonyms: concert, performance, solo
performance, solo, gig
Tendency: an inclination toward a particular characteristic or type of behavior.
Example: For students, there is a tendency to socialize in the evenings
Synonyms: propensity, proclivity, proneness, aptness, likelihood, inclination
Interim: in or for the intervening period; provisional or temporary.
Example: An interim arrangement
Synonyms: provisional, temporary,
stopgap, short-term, fill-in, caretaker
Intriguing: arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate.
Example: I was intrigued by your question
Synonyms: interesting, fascinating, absorbing, compelling, gripping, riveting
Diktat: an order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent.
Example: A diktat from the Bundestag