Karnataka High Court upholds particular tune prescribed by government to sing State anthem in specified places like schools and official events

Prescribing a particular raaga/tune for singing the Naada Geethe (State anthem), Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanujaate, in specified places such as schools and officials events of the government and its agencies, cannot be termed as either arbitrary or unreasonable, the High Court of Karnataka has said.

Prescribing a particular raaga/tune for singing the Naada Geethe (State anthem), Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanujaate, in specified places such as schools and officials events of the government and its agencies, cannot be termed as either arbitrary or unreasonable, the High Court of Karnataka has said.

Condition to sing the State anthem in a particular tune does not amount to unreasonable restriction as it is not universal in the sense that everyone, everywhere and at every time, if one desires to sing this song, has to do it in the State government specified tune, the court said, while pointing out that the condition is confined only to specified places like all types of schools, and official events of the government and its agencies.

Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by singer Kikkeri Krishna Murthy. The petitioner had questioned the legality of the State government’s September 25, 2022, notification prescribing that the State anthem should be sung in the tune composed by the late Mysore Ananthaswamy within the time limit of two minutes and 30 seconds without any repetitions or aalapas.

The court noted that the government’s notification does not impinge the petitioner or others to sing this song, penned by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, in any tune of their choice at any time except in specified places on specified occasions.

“If singing the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in a particular tune is imperative, drawing an analogy from the same one can without the risk of contradiction state that singing the State anthem in a specified raaga cannot be faltered,” the court observed while noticing that the government has fixed the tune for singing the State anthem at specified places based on a recommendation made by a panel of experts.

“The petitioner could not demonstrate his right to sing the State anthem in specified places like schools and functions of the government and its bodies in a tune composed by late C. Ashwath or such other stalwarts, in variance with the one specified,” the court said. The petitioner had contended that Ananthaswamy had not composed the full tune to the anthem but had been singing in the full tune composed by Ashwath.