Usuku lwango-July 8, 1985, lwaqala njengezinye izinsuku ezivamile ezinganeni ezintathu edolobhaneni laseKerala, esifundeni esiseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeNdiya. Kodwa ngalolu suku, uthisha-nhloko wayala ukuba kuculwe iculo lesizwe elithi, “Jana Gana Mana,” ekilasini. Zonke izingane kwakufanele zisukume zicule. Kodwa uBijoe, oneminyaka engu-15 nodadewabo abancane uBinu Mol (oneminyaka engu-13) noBindu (oneminyaka engu-10), abazange bacule. NjengoFakazi BakaJehova, unembeza wabo awubavumelanga ukuba bacule ngoba babekholelwa ngobuqotho ukuthi ukwenza kanjalo kuwuhlobo oluthile lokukhonza izithombe futhi kuyisenzo sokungathembeki kuNkulunkulu wabo, uJehova.

UV. J. Emmanuel, uyise walezi zingane, wakhuluma nothishanhloko kanye nabanye othisha abase benesikhathi eside, bonke abavumelana ngokuthi bazozivumela izingane ukuba ziqhubeke ziza esikoleni noma zingaculi. Kodwa esinye isisebenzi salesi sikole sayizwa le ngxoxo sabe sesiyibika. Ekugcineni le ndaba yafika elungwini leSishaya-mthetho soMbuso elabe seliyifaka esiGungwini ngoba linomuzwa wokuthi lezi zingane zaziziphatha ngendlela ebonisa ukuthi azinandaba nezwe lazo. Ngemva nje kwalokho, umhloli omkhulu wesikole wayala ukuba uthishanhloko azixoshe lezi zingane esikoleni ngaphandle uma zivuma ukucula iculo lesizwe. UMnu. Emmanuel wacela isikole ukuba sibuyisele izingane esikoleni kodwa isicelo sakhe asiphumelelanga. Wabhalela iNkantolo Ephakeme yaseKerala. Ngemva kokuba icala limlahlile kule nkantolo, walidlulisela eNkantolo Ephakeme YaseNdiya.

Ngo-August 11, 1986, iNkantolo Ephakeme yasichitha isinqumo seNkantolo Ephakeme yaseKerala ecaleni lika-Bijoe Emmanuel noMbuso WaseKerala. Le Nkantolo yathi ukuxosha izingane ngenxa ‘yezinkolelo zazo ezingokwenkolo ezihilela unembeza’ kwephula uMthetho-sisekelo waseNdiya. UJustice O. Chinnappa Reddy wathi: “Awukho umthetho . . . ophoqa umuntu ukuba acule.” Le Nkantolo yaphawula ukuthi ilungelo lokukhuluma ngokukhululekile lihlanganisa nelungulelo lokuthula nokuthi ukusukuma lapho kuculwa iculo lesizwe kwakubonisa inhlonipho efanele. INkantolo yayala ukuba isikole sibuyisele izingane esikoleni.

UJustice Reddy waphawula: “[OFakazi BakaJehova] yonke indawo abaliculi iculo lesizwe, abamculi ‘u-Jana Gana Mana’ waseNdiya, ‘u-God save the Queen’ waseBrithani, ‘u-The Star-Spangled Banner’ wase-United States namanye. . . . Okwenza bangaculi ukuthi inkolo yabo ayibavumeli bahlanganyele kunoma imiphi imidanti eyenziwayo ngaphandle uma kuthandazwa kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.”

Icala lika-Bijoe Emmanuel noMbuso WaseKerala lisemqoka kakhulu ngoba liqinisekisa ukuthi akukho muntu ongaphoqeleka ngokomthetho ukuba enze ngokuphambene nezinkolelo zakhe ezihilela unembeza. Nakuba iqaphela ukuthi amalungelo ayisisekelo anayo imibandela futhi alawulwa ukuhleleka komphakathi, isimilo nezempilo, le Nkantolo yanqanda uMbuso ukuba ungabekeli izakhamuzi imithetho eyeqisayo nengafaneleki. Yakhipha isinqumo esithi: “Ukuphoqa umfundi ngamunye ukuba acule iCulo Lesizwe nakuba engavumelani nakho ngobuqotho ngenxa yenkolo yakhe ehilela unembeza . . . kuyophambana ngokuqondile namalungelo aqinisekiswe i-Art. 19(1)(a) ne-Art. 25(1) [yoMthetho-sisekelo WaseNdiya].”

Lesi sinqumo sivikela nenkululeko yomthetho-sisekelo yamaqembu amancane. INkantolo yabuye yathi: “Ukuze kubonakale ukuthi izwe lingaphansi kombuso wentando yeningi kufanele likwazi ukwenza ngisho nezakhamuzi eziphansi zizizwe ziyingxenye yoMthetho-sisekelo wezwe.” UJustice Reddy wanezela: “Imibono yethu nendlela esisabela ngayo akubalulekile. Uma inkolelo iqotho futhi ihilela unembeza kufanele ivikelwe i-Art. 25 [yoMthetho-sisekelo].”

Icala lika-Bijoe Emmanuel noMbuso WaseKerala lasakazwa kabanzi ladingidwa nasePhalamende. Lesi sinqumo sesiyingxenye yezifundo zasezikoleni zezomthetho lapho kufundiswa umthetho-sisekelo. Kusakhulunywa ngaso komagazini bezomthetho nasezihlokweni zamaphephandaba hhayi njengesinqumo esinconywayo nesidumile nje kuphela kodwa njengesiyisibonelo sokubekezelelana eNdiya. Lesi sinqumo siye sasiza kakhulu ekuchazeni inkululeko engokwenkolo emphakathini oxubile. Sivikela inkululeko yokukhuluma eNdiya noma nini lapho leli lungelo lisongelwa.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umndeni wakwa-Emmanuel wakhuthazelela ukugconwa, izingcindezi ezivela kuziphathimandla, ngisho nokusongelwa ngokubulawa, kodwa awuzisoli ngokunamathela okholweni lwawo. UBindu, omunye wamadodakazi akwa-Emmanuel oseshadile futhi onengane, uyalandisa: “Ngamangala lapho ngihlangana nommeli owafunda ngecala lami esikoleni sezomthetho. Wabonga kakhulu ngempi yomthetho eyalwiwa oFakazi BakaJehova ukuze babeke isisekelo samalungelo abantu.”