Naga students’ body to hold rally in Kohima against ‘Vande Mataram’ directive

The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) will hold a public rally in Kohima on March 16 to protest against what it described as the “compulsory imposition” of the national song Vande Mataram following a recent directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

According to the federation, the rally will begin at the Old MLA Hostel Junction in the Phoolbari area at 10 am, from where participants will march to Lok Bhavan.

The student body said a memorandum outlining the concerns and demands of the Naga people will be submitted to the President of India through the governor of Nagaland.

The NSF said the protest was triggered by a notification issued by the MHA on January 28 directing that the revised national song be sung or played during official functions and in educational institutions.

Expressing concern over the directive, the federation said that while the Naga people respect the national songs and symbols of all nations, the compulsory enforcement of Vande Mataram raises concerns as the song contains religious and devotional imagery that may conflict with the beliefs and conscience of many people in the state.

In its statement, the NSF said the Naga homeland has historically been a place of peaceful coexistence where people of different religions and communities have lived together with mutual respect.

The federation also emphasised that educational institutions should remain spaces for learning and dignity and should not become platforms where symbolic practices are imposed on students and communities.

The student body has directed all its units and subordinate organisations across Naga-inhabited areas to organise peaceful demonstrations in their respective regions on the same day in solidarity with the rally in Kohima.