Comments on: National Flag & National Anthem – What they mean to me http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:09:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Vinay http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-67276 Vinay Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:31:11 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-67276 How is this for the national anthem! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GT42jMdgZo How is this for the national anthem!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GT42jMdgZo

]]> By: Aparna http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49836 Aparna Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:57:26 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49836 naane, I never knew what I write will be dissected like this :P naane,
I never knew what I write will be dissected like this :P

]]> By: naane http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49623 naane Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:39:43 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49623 OK. cool :) what troubled me were the following comments made by you, "I can never tolerate seeing people sitting and listening to National Anthem" "I left the place since what happened there was something that I wouldn’t be doing." "I just change the channel" "I didn’t even buy the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ DVD that was released in 2007." "The respect which the freedom fighters gave to the National Flag and the National Anthem wasn’t lost on me either" anyway just wanted to give my view...thats all!!! Its good that not everyone view things in the same way...otherwise life will not be interesting...:) >"I had subconsciously developed such strong feelings about our national anthem and national flag." I am a skeptic of all these "subconcious" development... I know you have used this for a good reason. But, I have seen people use it as if they don't have any control over what they have developed subconciously during childhood...I like to think of myself as one who have concious control over what I do, than subconciously controlled/programmed neurons in my brain :)) OK. cool :)

what troubled me were the following comments made by you,

“I can never tolerate seeing people sitting and listening to National Anthem”
“I left the place since what happened there was something that I wouldn’t be doing.”
“I just change the channel”
“I didn’t even buy the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ DVD that was released in 2007.”

“The respect which the freedom fighters gave to the National Flag and the National Anthem wasn’t lost on me either”

anyway just wanted to give my view…thats all!!! Its good that not everyone view things in the same way…otherwise life will not be interesting…:)

>”I had subconsciously developed such strong feelings about our national anthem and national flag.”
I am a skeptic of all these “subconcious” development… I know you have used this for a good reason. But, I have seen people use it as if they don’t have any control over what they have developed subconciously during childhood…I like to think of myself as one who have concious control over what I do, than subconciously controlled/programmed neurons in my brain :))

]]> By: Aparna http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49419 Aparna Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:45:36 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49419 naane, Those were interesting observations about the importance of posture in eastern and western cultures. >> Can we equate action with posture? Is posture an action? Is not posture more of passive expression than active expression? Isn’t getting into a particular posture spontaneously, an action? Coming to your last 3 paras, the question here is not about whether what I or others do is right or wrong. Reread the post and you will find that the crux of the post is why I am not able to listen to the national anthem without standing up. I have written that I even tried to listen to the National Anthem without standing up. If I thought it was wrong to do that, why would I even have tried? >> why do you restrict yourself to the thinking that the passive way of expressing the reverence is superior to the other ways expressed actively in composing/singing/broadcasting the national anthem? Where have I said what I do is superior to other ways? You have only said ‘What is the point of having freedom, if we are not free to express in anyway we want?’ And that is exactly what I am doing. Expressing it the way I want to. naane,
Those were interesting observations about the importance of posture in eastern and western cultures.

>> Can we equate action with posture? Is posture an action? Is not posture more of passive expression than active expression?
Isn’t getting into a particular posture spontaneously, an action?

Coming to your last 3 paras, the question here is not about whether what I or others do is right or wrong. Reread the post and you will find that the crux of the post is why I am not able to listen to the national anthem without standing up. I have written that I even tried to listen to the National Anthem without standing up. If I thought it was wrong to do that, why would I even have tried?

>> why do you restrict yourself to the thinking that the passive way of expressing the reverence is superior to the other ways expressed actively in composing/singing/broadcasting the national anthem?
Where have I said what I do is superior to other ways? You have only said ‘What is the point of having freedom, if we are not free to express in anyway we want?’ And that is exactly what I am doing. Expressing it the way I want to.

]]> By: naane http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49190 naane Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:40:15 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-49190 As I recently watched July 4th fireworks here with my kids, I am trying to contrast different ways the emotions are expressed in eastern and western cultures. There is no doubt there is reverence as well as celebration in both the cutltures. However, in eastern cutlture we give more importance to external posture. This is taught to us from early on. The way we sit in front of elders, standing up when teacher arrives, praying to God, etc. For all of these, external posture is very important in our culture. In western cutlture, it seems they care more about what is inside than how it is expressed externally. I saw people were lying down watching fireworks, while the car stereos blasting the national anthem. I have seen in american churches, people drinking coffee, eating snacks while the pastor is teaching. I have never seen that in India. I am not saying that importance to external posture is totally absent in western cutlure, but compared to eatern cutlture it is not given such importance. It is not used as an indicator of reverence, repect, piety, etc as we do it in our culture. I think we should respond to the freedom we enjoy with both reverence and celebration. What is the point of having freedom, if we are not free to express in anyway we want?(ofcourse within the leagal limits) Why do we need to bother ourselves with external postures (rituals) where it is not required? At the same time one could ask "If someone really have reverence, will it not show up in external expression?" Yes!. But the questions is what kind of external expression would you consider right? Action (doing something) is also one of the external expressions. Can we equate action with posture? Is posture an action? Is not posture more of passive expression than active expression? Why do we still need to give importance to this passive mode of expressing one reverence, respect and piety? As the world flattens more and more, we see some adoption of western cutlture into eastern and vice versa. It is not entirely bad. The tension is in picking the good and leaving the bad, and deciding what is good and what is bad. I think what you are experiencing is this tension. The reason why I am saying is, deep down you feel it is not right to sit when national anthem is played. If it is not right for you then it cannot be right for others too. Can it be? If it is right, then one should reconcile to the fact that there are different ways to express one's reverence. I cannot change your way of thinking, but invite you to consider the possibility that it could be a liberating experience when you detach predefined external expressions from what is really inside in heart. I admire your reverece for our country, but my question is why do you restrict yourself to the thinking that the passive way of expressing the reverence is superior to the other ways expressed actively in composing/singing/broadcasting the national anthem? I know you clearly mentioned in your blog, you did not think what others were doing was wrong. But, you clearly thought you were wrong if you did the same. How could it be? Is it not a contradiction!!! As I recently watched July 4th fireworks here with my kids, I am trying to contrast different ways the emotions are expressed in eastern and western cultures. There is no doubt there is reverence as well as celebration in both the cutltures. However, in eastern cutlture we give more importance to external posture. This is taught to us from early on. The way we sit in front of elders, standing up when teacher arrives, praying to God, etc. For all of these, external posture is very important in our culture. In western cutlture, it seems they care more about what is inside than how it is expressed externally. I saw people were lying down watching fireworks, while the car stereos blasting the national anthem. I have seen in american churches, people drinking coffee, eating snacks while the pastor is teaching. I have never seen that in India.

I am not saying that importance to external posture is totally absent in western cutlure, but compared to eatern cutlture it is not given such importance. It is not used as an indicator of reverence, repect, piety, etc as we do it in our culture.

I think we should respond to the freedom we enjoy with both reverence and celebration. What is the point of having freedom, if we are not free to express in anyway we want?(ofcourse within the leagal limits) Why do we need to bother ourselves with external postures (rituals) where it is not required? At the same time one could ask “If someone really have reverence, will it not show up in external expression?” Yes!. But the questions is what kind of external expression would you consider right? Action (doing something) is also one of the external expressions. Can we equate action with posture? Is posture an action? Is not posture more of passive expression than active expression? Why do we still need to give importance to this passive mode of expressing one reverence, respect and piety?

As the world flattens more and more, we see some adoption of western cutlture into eastern and vice versa. It is not entirely bad. The tension is in picking the good and leaving the bad, and deciding what is good and what is bad. I think what you are experiencing is this tension. The reason why I am saying is, deep down you feel it is not right to sit when national anthem is played. If it is not right for you then it cannot be right for others too. Can it be? If it is right, then one should reconcile to the fact that there are different ways to express one’s reverence. I cannot change your way of thinking, but invite you to consider the possibility that it could be a liberating experience when you detach predefined external expressions from what is really inside in heart.

I admire your reverece for our country, but my question is why do you restrict yourself to the thinking that the passive way of expressing the reverence is superior to the other ways expressed actively in composing/singing/broadcasting the national anthem?

I know you clearly mentioned in your blog, you did not think what others were doing was wrong. But, you clearly thought you were wrong if you did the same. How could it be? Is it not a contradiction!!!

]]> By: Aparna http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-48850 Aparna Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:41:40 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-48850 Puranjoy, I THOUGHT about it and I guess you are right. Looking forward to reading your post! Vinay, Welcome to my blog! Oh wow! Thanks for the link. Puranjoy,
I THOUGHT about it and I guess you are right. Looking forward to reading your post!

Vinay,
Welcome to my blog! Oh wow! Thanks for the link.

]]> By: Vinay http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-48017 Vinay Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:43:06 +0000 http://aparna-a.com/2008/07/02/national-flag-national-anthem-%e2%80%93-what-they-mean-to-me/#comment-48017 Hey Aparna, Just happened to bump into your blog while looking for some carnatic blogs. I go through exactly the same thing as you do when I listen to the National Anthem, you have put it so well in words!! More often than not I tend to have moist eyes when I listen to the Anthem and at times I try avoid listening because I invariably end up in tears.........strange thing, I wonder if that happened to anyone. Well...does it mean you are not patriotic because you are trying to avoid it? At least for some people it has a special place in the heart and it creates that special feeling every time you hear it........ This led me to look up for what GOI has to say about the Anthem and you might want to have a look at this http://india.gov.in/images/new_orders.pdf Cheers! Vinay Hey Aparna,

Just happened to bump into your blog while looking for some carnatic blogs.

I go through exactly the same thing as you do when I listen to the National Anthem, you have put it so well in words!!

More often than not I tend to have moist eyes when I listen to the Anthem and at times I try avoid listening because I invariably end up in tears………strange thing, I wonder if that happened to anyone. Well…does it mean you are not patriotic because you are trying to avoid it? At least for some people it has a special place in the heart and it creates that special feeling every time you hear it……..

This led me to look up for what GOI has to say about the Anthem and you might want to have a look at this

http://india.gov.in/images/new_orders.pdf

Cheers!

Vinay

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