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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s...

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied to Sarda on forwarding his complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action. It further stated that action taken in the matter must be conveyed directly to Sarda. “It’s a pleasant surprise indeed that the President has taken serious note of the issue of insults to the National Flag at night-clubs, pubs, lounges, sports bars and other places all over the country. The blatant mishandling of the National Flag also violates the specially laid-down provisions of the Flag Code of India,” said Sarda. He pointed out that the Tricolor is a sacred symbol and not a ‘commercial prop’ for entertainment purposes to be used by artists without disregard for the rules. “There are multiple videos, reels or photos available on social media… It's painful to view how the National Flag is being grossly misused, disrespected and even displayed at late nights or early morning hours, flouting the rules,” Sarda said. The more worrisome aspect is that such transgressions are occurring openly, repeatedly and apparently without any apprehensions for the potential consequences. This indicates serious lapses in the enforcement and supervision, but such unchecked abuse could portend dangerous signals that national symbols can be ‘trivialized and traded for profits’. He urged the President to direct the issue of stringent written guidelines with circular to all such private or commercial outlets on mandatory compliance with the Flag Code of India, conduct special awareness drives, surprise checks on such venues and regular inspections to curb the misuse of the Tricolour. Flag Code of India, 2002 Perturbed over the “perceptible lack of awareness” not only among the masses but also governmental agencies with regard to the laws, practices and conventions for displaying the National Flag as per the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the centre had brought out the detailed 25-page Flag Code of India, 2002. The Flag Code of India has minute guidelines on the display of the Tricolour, the happy occasions when it flies high, or the sad times when it is at half-mast, the privileged dignitaries who are entitled to display it on their vehicles, etc. Certain violations attract hefty fines and/or imprisonment till three years.

Mr. Bharat’s brushes with two superstars

Mumbai: Years ago, the veteran south Indian and Bollywood director A. Bhimsingh was working on the gloomy love-triangle, ‘Aadmi’ (1968) starring the then reigning emperor of acting, Dilip Kumar, along with Waheeda Rehman and others.


During the early filming, Bhimsingh and the other hero of the film, the late Feroze Khan, had some huge differences and couldn’t see eye-to-eye on many things.


The enraged Bhimsingh narrated everything to Dilip Kumar and it was finally decided to drop Khan, recalled veteran Bollywood producer K. Ramji of Tina Films International (TFI).


“Dilip Kumar also called up his close friend and film-maker, my father, A. Krishnamurthi, and requested him to see if Rajendra Kumar or Manoj Kumar could be convinced to play the crucial role, replacing Khan,” Ramji told The Perfect Voice.

Though Rajendra Kumar politely declined, Manoj Kumar jumped with joy at the honour of working with his cherished idol Dilip Kumar that simply landed in his lap, chuckled Ramji.


At one point when Bhimsingh fell ill, Manoj Kumar even volunteered to direct a portion of the film, to ensure completing it on schedule and it turned out to be a blockbuster.


A couple of years later, Dilip Kumar returned the favour by convincing his wife, the dazzling Saira Banu to work in a glam role for Manoj Kumar’s patriotic superhit ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ (1970).


Manoj Kumarhad crafted his own style, mannerisms, and even a hairstyle that was displayed in almost all barber shops of that era for youngsters to emulate.

Decades later, legendary choreographer-cum-director Farah Khan came up with her smash-hit film, ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007), considered a heart-felt eulogy to the whims and vagaries of Bollywood.


In one scene, the film took an uncharitable swipe at Manoj Kumar, rattling him enough to file a Rs. 100-crore defamation suit (which he later gracefully withdrew).


The scene in ‘Om Shanti Om’ poked fun at Manoj Kumar’s famed mannerism – covering his face with his palm to express shyness, disappointment, happiness or sadness.


The struggler Om Prakash (played by Shah Rukh Khan) unabashedly lampooned the senior actor by flaunting his identity-card to a cop, with his photo showing the face covered by his hand - a la Manoj Kumar - leading to howls of laughter in cinema halls.


As film critics then noted, Manoj Kumar’s iconic ‘style’ cultivated over decades, was ripped to a farce in just one momentary scene in the film and he expressed his deep distress by saying, “This is how they treat me”.


However, later, like many Bollywood films the ugly brawl had a happy ending with a round of apologies from Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, while Manoj Kumar earned widespread applause in film circles for graciously burying the hatchet.

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