Kamal C Chavara aka Kamalsy Prana, a Malayalam writer and theater activist was charged with sedition after he allegedly mocked the national anthem in a Facebook post.
Wondering how a Facebook post got him into trouble? He picked up a few lines from his novel mentioning about how schoolchildren get excited about singing the national anthem at 4 pm because for the national anthem means that they would now be allowed to use the toilet. He also states in his Facebook post that teachers do not usually allow the children to use the toilet during the classes.
According to reports, a BJP’s Yuva Morcha filed a case against him following which, the police registered a FIR and arrested Prana.
However, the Prana has refuted all the allegations saying that the with these charges the police were portraying him as a terrorist and have termed his arrest as illegal.
Last week, twelve people were booked by police in two separate incidents at the International Film Festival in Kerala for not standing up during the playing of the national anthem.
Activists from Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing who were present during the movie screening pointed out to police personnel towards certain people for not standing up when the national anthem was being played, according to media reports.
This incident of moral policing came merely a day after a group of eight persons, including three women, were beaten in public for sitting while the national anthem was being played. While those beaten up were booked under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the thrashers were allowed to walk away scot-free.
The Supreme Court on 30 November ordered that the national anthem will be played in cinema halls across the nations before the movie begins, asserting that the shorter versions of the national anthem will not be allowed.
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