Thursday, August 16, 2007

Feelings naah!...commercialised celebration


I think by the end of the day everyone must be really fed-up by the media coverage of our 60thIndependence Day. I know my blog entry is going to be about something same but still I noticed something that was actually weird.

First thing in the morning on this special day was the flat hosting ceremony by our respected Prime Minister at the ‘Red Fort’. I clearly remember it was exactly 0730 hours and it was the time. Our tri-colour, out flag was up there, looking beautiful as usual, and flying with the wind…and with this came our National Anthem. “A proud moment!”

Flashback for me coz National Anthem reminds me of my school days coz everyday before dispersing for our classes after daily prayers, we used to sing our National Anthem.

But today, while watching television I saw something weird. I don’t remember which channel it was but a ‘Jana Gana Mana' by various known singers and music composers was played on almost all channels. It was good to learn that all these singers came together to lend their voice to our National Anthem but I was offended by the video. I saw singers singing in the video, their hands going with music n there head just moving here and there. It was more of a show-off then our National Anthem. The different ragas these singers added to our simple National Anthem. And yeah, I am not so sure but I think it was sponsored by Airtel (coz every time it was played, it had Airtel written in the end). It was not just once but while surfing channels for just 30 mins, it was for the fifth time I noticed the same thing. If this was the case by various channels, then news channels were not less. The coverage of morning’s flag hosting was shown and once again, I saw the clipping of our National Anthem again being played. I don’t know but I was offended.

It is our National Anthem, and we all should respect it rather then degrading it as a song which can be played anytime, anywhere, when no one is concerned. For me respecting a National Anthem, be if of any country in this world matters a lot and here in our country, nobody is even concerned that our National Anthem has been taken for granted and made fun off.
I am not aware of laws for our National Anthem, if there are any but I wonder how come Airtel got this permission to show the latest recorded version of our National Anthem on television like this. Disgusting!

My last visit to Barista coffee shop, made me realise that it is just about feelings and being natural. I saw two foreigners sitting right next to me. Both of them had a small tri-colour pinned nicely on their shirts. I don’t know but at that moment I felt that it doesn’t matter where you were born or were brought up. It is just about respecting a nation. Contradictory to what I saw was a recent discussion with a friend. The discussion brought to my notice that a simple purchase of 5KG sugar can fetch you a tri-colour (made of paper) absolutely free! Isn’t it amazing?

Not only this - Tri-colour is being sold at various places but with the company/brand name printed over the bottom level of our flag. Hmmm...nice promotional scheme...can be a sure shot hit. Heck! Is anybody concerned what is happening. Our flag, does it matter that how rapidly, year after year we are strengthening our base by degrading our own national Anthem, flag or our feelings for our country. Or say degrading and dis-respecting our country, India.

I know the post sounds like a lecture –60th year of Independence but give a damn. Its just about being connected with something you strongly feel about.

3 comments:

Akshay Kapoor said...

Hmmm....interesting observation Nidhi. But must agree with you again. Though I'm not an avid watcher of the idiot box anymore, but i must say that I also caught a glimpse or two of the national anthem being sung by various singers on I day. Yes, we live in a time when we need to be reminded by the media that come on guys, be patriotic. And the media also does a good job in overhyping the whole thing, thus degrading the entire feeling of respect for the anthem or the flag. It's all become commercial. Well...Guess things should change with time, only if the media changes for the better.

Nimish Dubey said...

I agree. The use of our national anthem for promoting a brand is the height of shoddiness. What's next? An ad banner on the Red Fort when the PM addresses the nation - "This speech is brought to you courtesy Lux Cozy"?

Unknown said...

o bhai...Socrates strikes again.

you are offended by the singers moving their heads while our National Anthem is on, it being sponsored by a corporate, tri-color being sold without anyone's consent. Heck what...tell you something, if you got the guts, have the reason and the courage to nuture your disgust into a productive something, sue em. sue em all. go ahead, do that, for that would be something sensible that you would do. stop cribbing in a blog that would be know only to a couple few, making no difference what so ever to the masses. you have the power of pen with you, do something with that. A blog, its like yet another entry...


i know this was way too blunt, but it remains a bitter truth.
Either do something about it or just be like other 1 billion lot.