Paraplegic Salil Chaturvedi from Goa, whose account of being assaulted in a movie hall in the State capital, for not ‘standing up’ during the pre-film screen rendition of a national anthem went viral here, wants the practice discontinued in cinema halls.
Cinema hall, says Salil, is where people often come to celebrate and some movie-goers turn up under the influence of alcohol, may not be the most ideal venues for playing of the national anthem, which he said has a sense of sanctity and respect.
“Some people drink too when they attend evening shows, so it is not right to sing a national anthem in such circumstances. Everything has its own place,” Chaturvedi told The Pioneer, a day after an account of his ordeal, which he suffered in July this year, went viral of social. “A person sings the national anthem with pride. There should be a proper atmosphere to sing it. In the evening, when we go to a cinema hall to celebrate, why should this alone be an opportunity to show how much we love our country,” he said.
Salil, whose father served in the Air Force, lost his legs following an accident that damaged his spine. Recalling the incident in July, Salil said that he had gone to watch the blockbuster Rajnikanth-starring film ‘Kabali’ with his wife and a friend. Once inside, he was hoisted out of his wheel-chair and placed in a seat at the Inox movie hall in Panaji, soon after which the national anthem started being played. “And this couple behind me, they were singing national anthem quite proudly and quite well. Suddenly I was hit on the back of my head by the man,” Chaturvedi said.
Soon an altercation followed, until the time the couple became aware of his disabilities. While the incident occurred in July this year, it was recounted in a public forum by a of his friend earlier this week, following which the account went viral.
“This is not the first time such a thing has happened to me... It has happened a couple of times,” Salil said, adding that such incidents often scare people with disabilities. “First of all, those who are disabled, they already have trouble stepping out because, it is difficult to find disabled friendly places in Goa. They will be scared to step out in such places, for fear of being attacked. Their freedom will be curbed,” Salil said.
While he says that respecting the national anthem was imperative, the cinema hall, he says may not be the right place for the sacred anthem.
"Everything has its own place. Is it possible that one goes to a restaurant before you are served, you will have to sing a national anthemIJ Or before withdrawing money from an ATM to show how much you love the country. Our deeds convey our love to the country and it is not important that everyone has to stand up," he said.
"Someone who is old, may find it difficult to stand up. National anthem has a place of pride and a cinema hall is not the right place," he also says.