India's top court refuses to delete Pakistan reference from national anthem (AFP via Khaleej Times Online)
The Supreme Court dismissed a patition to delete a reference in the national anthem to the province of Sindh, now in Pakistan.
The court told the petitioner, Sanjeev Bhatnagar, to take his concerns to the government instead of the judiciary.
If he does take it to the government, is there a defined process to modify the national anthem? Does it need a constitutional amendment or did the framers of the constitution never consider this possibility?
Posted by Harshal at September 20, 2004 10:19 AMI do not think you can modify the anthem. THere is NO such song..no 'jana gana mana' written by Tagore or anyone else that does not have SINDH in it. This is ridiculous... he can propose and people may decide to change to a completely different song for the national anthem.. but I am totally against changing words from the original. For the same reason, I was enraged when I read about Kerala dropping Gujrat from the anthem, supposedly as a symbolic gesture of protest against the Modi-led Gujrat's policies during and after the Godhra riots. Renaming Bombay as Mumbai, Calcutta as Kolkatta, Madras as Chennai were all mere ego-stoking excercises.. but this kind of revisionism and changes is pure BS. No.. CAN'T DO... should be the Government's attitude too. The judicial system instead of saying so.. has just avoided getting embroiled in the controversy and just passed on the buck!
Posted by: Sanjeev on September 22, 2004 12:01 PMI cannot believe the guy's motivation. Next thing you know he would want Bhatnagar in the national anthem!
Posted by: Gulshan on January 14, 2005 02:22 PM