Disabled man abused for not standing up during national anthem

GUWAHATI: A wheelchair-bound man, who has been fighting for rights of the disabled, was abused at a multiplex here on Friday for not standing up when the national anthem was being played.

Arman Ali (36) said he was in one of the front rows and "sat upright" during the anthem "as a mark of respect".

However, at the end of the anthem, two men abused him for not standing up. "Saamne ek Pakistani baitha hai (A Pakistani is sitting in front)," one of them reportedly said.

"When I looked behind, they bore smug expressions on their faces. How easy to call someone Pakistani without even bothering to know if that 'Pakistani' can stand up or not? Maybe, to them, their national duty is done by commenting on my not standing up for the national anthem," Ali, executive director of Shishu Sarothi, an NGO working for the empowerment of differently-abled people, said. "This is what our society has come to. I am planning to write to the Chief Justice of India."

In November 2016, the Supreme Court had said the national anthem must be played in all cinema halls before screening of a film and everyone must stand up.