Sing till you're hoarse, fellas

COMMENTARY

I have a feeling I shouldn't say anything about this. At the back of my mind, I actually know that I am not supposed to harbour any critical thought about the initiative or the idea behind it. I know I would be putting myself up for some real wrath and backlash. I know. I know. Still, from a deep, dark and hidden corner of my mind, I feel obliged to give my honest opinion despite my instinct to keep my mouth shut.

The reality is that I think the government's latest scheme of having people in different provinces singing the national anthem live every day, from now till His Majesty the King's birthday on Dec 5  -  an activity which they figure will help mend the broken nation  -  is not exactly the most brilliant idea.

The singing project - unveiled in mid-September and to be carried on for the next few months - is the brainchild of the PM's Office. It is being branded as one that will make Thailand harmonious and strong. I don't think it will achieve either purpose.

It's not that I overlook or want to downplay the importance of a ritual in the formation of one's sense of self or collective culture. I am fully aware that ritual is integral to the creation of a larger ideal capable of holding people, who come from different backgrounds and value different things, together.

In other words, ritual is an indispensable part of the process of making something sacred, something that hopefully is agreeable and flexible enough to accommodate diverse beliefs and interests, something that can give everyone some kind of room to belong.

While the singing of the national anthem has some potential to melt the hearts that march to different beats into one, it has the same limitations as other "form" or formal components of a culture. Because it is so fully integrated into people's lives - Thai people have learned to pay respect to the flag and national anthem ever since we were children - it is almost meaningless in itself. It has become more of a duty than a passion, a routine that one does without thinking. Its power thus cannot be released until it is incorporated into a more meaningful, real-life context.

When "Nong Kay" lifted her way to an Olympics' gold, for example. The way she stood up against the crushing weight - and all the suffering she had gone through to prove herself at that moment - was the content that gave the anthem its poignant power. For as long as it was played, the hearts of all Thais could be unified by the pride we had for our athlete, our representative, our fellow citizen.

It's true many of us haven't sung the national anthem out loud since we left school. But what does the government think will go through our head if we have to do this "duty" again? Let me just say that anything that is defined as duty can hardly be a thrill. It would therefore be quite a challenge to yawn our way to harmony and strength.

While the singing of the national anthem is often associated with a right-wing, militaristic attitude, I would not go so far as the Time correspondent who described the scheme as being "presumably designed to placate the nationalist army faction to whom Abhisit's administration is beholden".

I believe, though, that the government chose to implement this project because it believes there is nothing more quintessentially Thai than the Thai national anthem. And they needed to promote a sense of unity among Thais quite badly. I don't dispute that the national anthem connotes a core sense of being Thai to some people, but I doubt if the ceremonial song and static ritual associated with it would lend itself to cover or cherish the ever-changing concept of Thai-ness.

The national anthem was written in 1939. The conceptual or legal definition of what or who was Thai then, must be different from now. With the definition of Thai-ness still under dispute - should a boy born of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand be eligible to be considered Thai if he so wants? Should the PM act like a Thai-Thai boy and bow to pressure from his higher-ups in the appointment of the new police chief? Or should he set a new Thai standard of bringing transparency into the process? - it is difficult if not impossible for the rigid ritual of singing the national anthem to spread itself meaningfully like one big umbrella and cover people together under the same sentiment as intended by its promoters.

Indeed, that this is such a ceremonial activity means it offers no room for people to exercise their creativity and take part in it constructively at all. There is nothing in it that can be developed further that will join people together in their minds or in their hearts.The singing project may appear grand, stately and nationalistic but the best it can hope to achieve is to be a gimmick, and a rather boring one at that.

• Atiya Achakulwisut is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.