MUMBAI: Maharashtra government is expected to tell the Bombay High Court on Thursday of its stand on the use of the word ‘Sindhu’ instead of ‘Sindh’ in the national anthem in text-books.
On December 4, a division bench of Justice Anoop Mohta and Justice Nitin Jamdar asked the state to reply whether it is following the judgments of the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court which have upheld the use of the word ‘Sindh’ in the anthem. “Tell us if you don’t want to follow it. It can’t be that you are aware and still making mistakes,” said Justice Mohta.
A public interest litigation was filed last year by Dakshata Shetin respect of class X textbooks printed by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. She sought direction for text-books to be withdrawn/ destroyed and to have the correct national anthem published
On December 4 , Shettold the court nothing has changed this academic term as in some books Sindhu retained and in others the anthem does not figure. Giving instances, she said the class XI Chemistry text-book has the word ‘Sindhu’ while the Maths text-book does not have the anthem. She said the government has not filed its reply yet. Sheth said HC and Supreme Court’s judgments which have upheld the use of the word Sindh and the petitioners were fined Rs 10,000/- each. She argued that SC said it is national anthem should not change because of territorial changes in the country.
The government’s advocate said the State government cannot effect change without instructions from the Central government’s Home Department. ”The judges said the national anthem has to be uniform all over the country.. It should be the same every where throughout India. It cannot be different for different states,” said Justice Mohta. The judges then asked the state reply at the next hearing on December 11.
TOI | Dec 11, 2014
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