Bombay high court tells state government to justify ‘Sindhu’ in national anthem

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Monday directed the state to justify inclusion of the word “Sindhu” in the national anthem printed in the textbooks for Classes X and XII.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Girish Kulkarni sought the state’s response on a public interest litigation filed by Mulund resident Dakshata Shet for direction to the state government to withdraw textbooks in which “Sindh” has been replaced in the national anthem with “Sindhu”.Her petition was filed last year and Shet had then informed the court that “Sindhu” figures in the national anthem in the latest geography, history and Marathi books of Class X and in the physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics books of Class XII.
An intervention application was filed by Shrikant Malushte seeking clarification. His advocate submitted that while the Union government has said both words are correct, the Supreme Court has ruled that the national anthem should not be amended even if geographical changes have taken place in India.
The judges asked that the Union government should be made a party. They said if the state government feels that use of “Sindhu” is correct, then it must justify it. “We want to know the stand of the government,” said Justice Oka, directing the government to file its reply. The matter is adjourned to October 7.