When the Supreme Court made it compulsory for the national anthem to be played only at film theatres, many physically challenged persons had pointed out the problem with the norm for them. Some had argued that it would prevent the differently-abled from going to theatres altogether.
The Supreme Court then clarified that the differently-abled didn’t have to stand for the national anthem in theatres.
Now the government has helpfully come out with a set of norms for the differently-abled to follow when they are in theatres or public places and the national anthem begins to play.
The Hindustan Times reported that in a fresh guideline the Ministry of Home Affairs has said:
- the differently-abled should not move whetther they’re on crutches or wheelchairs when the anthem plays
- maintain “maximum possible alertness physically”
- individuals with mild intellectual disability should be trained to respect the anthem
- people with severe intellectual disability will be completely exempt
- there should be public awareness so that the differently-abled are not targeted for not reacting to the national anthem
On Twitter, there were people who criticised the new guidelines which as one pointed out, weren’t even necessary: