Thousands of students and citizens under the banner of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday staged a rally in Kohima opposing the Central government’s directive mandating the singing of Vande Mataram at official functions and in educational institutions.
The protesters, carrying placards with slogans such as “MHA’s January 28 directive is an assault on secularism,” “Naga rights are non-negotiable,” and “Stop forced policies,” marched from Kohima Town to Lok Bhavan, where they submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through the Governor of Nagaland.
In the memorandum, the NSF expressed strong opposition to the directive, noting that while the Naga people respect national symbols and cultural expressions, the imposition of any symbolic practice with religious connotations raises serious concerns regarding freedom of conscience. The federation pointed out that the revised version of Vande Mataram contains devotional imagery associated with the worship of a particular deity, conflicting with the religious and cultural sensitivities of the Naga community.
NSF president Mteisuding Heraang told the gathering that the protest was a collective assertion that the identity and beliefs of the Naga people cannot be dictated by administrative directives.
Also read: NPF opposes ‘mandatory’ Vande Mataram in Nagaland
“This protest is not directed against any nation or community, but against the principle of imposing symbolic practices that conflict with the conscience of the people,” he said, stressing that respect for diversity has been a hallmark of Naga society.
The memorandum highlighted the importance of maintaining educational institutions as spaces for intellectual freedom and democratic values rather than platforms for “enforcing symbolic compliance or ideological uniformity.” It cited international frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, underscoring the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. It also referenced the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, affirming that indigenous communities must be able to preserve their cultural traditions without external imposition.
Speakers from the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF), Nagaland Christian Revival Churches, and the Catholic Association of Nagaland voiced support for the rally, urging the protection of cultural and religious sensitivities.
The NSF urged the President to withdraw the directive and called for dialogue and consultation with representatives of the Naga people before implementing policies that could affect the region’s cultural and social fabric.
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