Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora on Friday, March 16 moved a private member’s resolution in the Rajya Sabha seeking to replace the word ‘Sindh’ in the national anthem with the word ‘Uttar Purv’ (North East) saying there is no point glorifying the place which belongs to a hostile nation. He also said that when the national anthem was adopted in 1950, the then President Rajendra Prasad had said if required the anthem would be amended in future. The resolution is expected to be taken up next week.
In the letter, Bora wrote, “North East is an important part of India, it is unfortunate that it is not part of the National Anthem on other hand Sindh is mentioned, which is no longer part of India but part of Pakistan, which is a hostile country.”
“Then President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad had in a statement on January 24, 1950 said the composition consisting of the words and music known as ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is the National Anthem of India subject to such alterations in the words as the Government of India may authorise as occasion arises,” the resolution added.
The issue of change in the National Anthem was earlier raised by Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant in 2016.
An MP can move a private member’s resolution on an allotted day and those members who secure the first five places in the draw of lot for the day shall be eligible to give notice of one resolution each within 10 days of the date of the draw of lot.
The resolution shall satisfy the following conditions in order to be admissible: (i) it shall be clearly and precisely expressed; (ii) it shall raise substantially one definite issue; (iii) it shall not contain arguments, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations or defamatory statements etc.
Reacting to Bora’s demand, Lakhu Luhana of the World Sindhi Congress was quoted by ANI as saying, “Tagore had in-depth knowledge of history and so he put in Sindh in the national anthem. Can any sane nation remove the basis of its civilization? The answer is no. Though Sindh is a part of Pak now, most Sindhis don’t associate themselves with Pak.”
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