Lawmakers, National Assembly members while discussing Tourism Minister’s decision to play the national anthem ahead of the evening aarati has sparked a new debate – the most important of them all, are those in mourning expected to rise to the national anthem too?
The question, coming as a criticism from Nepali Congress lawmaker Bhimsen Das Pradhan, ex-Defense Minister caused other members of the Federal Parliament to ponder. Driving the point home, he said that the national anthem is meant for national events and places – not meant to be played at a site of cultural/religious interest every day.
He also criticised the government’s decision to enforce the compulsory playing of the national anthem in cinema halls ahead of a movie, reminding everyone present the rule reminds of an oppresive era – the ‘Panchayat Kal.’
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also released images of ‘approved T-Shirt designs’ to be adorned during our third Constitution Day and other national holidays. Logging in on their website – http://www.moha.gov.np/, an ad-block featuring the T-shirts design brandishing a Nepali flag on the chest is shown – close that pop-up, and another one features, which asks you to ‘celebrate Constitution Day with great pomp and fervour, wave your flag proudly, let there be Deepawali (light) in every home’.
Public is concerned if the ruling party is trying to force nationalism down people’s throats.
