So here’s a piece of news for those patriotic ones who already have, or are planning to set the national anthem as their caller tune. Opposed to the idea, the telecom department (DoT) reportedly feels it’d be a mockery of the anthem, stating that providing the national anthem as a caller tune would be a violation of the conditions of the license agreement. But are we really disrespecting the our nation’s sacred song by using it as caller tune?
“Does this mean we can’t keep the national anthem as our caller tune even if we wish to? I think it’s quite unreasonable. I understand it should not be treated disrespectfully, but I feel having it as a caller tune would reflect how much pride we take in it,” says Rajat Mahajan, a professional photographer.
Vani Kumar, a professional with TCS, argues if the national song would get the respect it deserves, if it plays on cellphones. “It’s quite true that playing and listening to the national anthem is a matter of pride, and we all pay homage to it by standing when it’s played. But it would be disrespectful to have it ringing as caller tunes on people’s cellphones. You can’t keep the nation’s anthem in the list of endless filmy tracks that are available as caller tunes,” she says.
Lawyer Ashok Aggarwal sums it up by saying, “This condition is not a mockery of the anthem at all. It’s just about a patriotic person wanting to set our anthem as a caller tune. I don’t think such a directive will stand the test of time.”