Kohima: The Naga Students Federation protest against the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram intensified outside the Nagaland Legislative Assembly complex in Kohima on Thursday, marking the second consecutive day of demonstration even as the contentious issue echoed inside the House during Zero Hour. The students, who have been holding a peaceful sit-in since Wednesday, sang Christian hymns including When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder, Onward Christian Soldiers and I Have Decided to Follow Jesus to register their opposition to the directive from the Centre.
The protest is in response to an order issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on January 28 this year, directing all states to ensure compulsory singing of Vande Mataram during the arrival of important VVIPs at national functions, including the Governor’s arrival in the Assembly. For the NSF, which is the apex body of Naga students, the order amounts to an imposition on the predominantly Christian Naga society and infringes upon freedom of conscience and religious practice.
The matter gained prominence inside the Assembly when NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon, himself a former president of the NSF, raised the issue during Zero Hour. Kikon said the agitation should not be seen as a localized or party-specific matter but as an issue that concerns the entire state. He informed the House that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his government had taken serious note of the sentiments expressed by legislators across tribal and political affiliations and had also consulted the Church, civil society organisations, tribal bodies and student groups.
Kikon revealed that keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue and its implications under Article 371A of the Constitution, which protects Naga customary laws and religious and social practices, the state government had referred the matter to a dedicated committee. The committee, headed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister K G Kenye, was constituted specifically to examine the applicability of laws passed by Parliament in Nagaland.
However, Kikon told the House that the legal landscape has changed dramatically with the recent enactment of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Act, 2026. He said the Bill has been passed by both Houses of Parliament and has received Presidential assent, thereby converting what was earlier an executive directive into a full-fledged law of the land. This development, he said, has necessitated a fresh examination of the legal position by the state committee.
Making an emotional appeal to the protesters, Kikon urged the NSF to withdraw its agitation, assuring that the government would address their concerns at the appropriate forum. He said, I would like to appeal on behalf of the Government and in the capacity of the former President of NSF to the NSF friends to kindly call off their agitation. He added that the concerns of the students were legitimate and would be duly considered.
Elaborating on the government’s stand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister K G Kenye described the issue as very contentious and hypersensitive, especially in the context of Article 371A and other special constitutional provisions for Nagaland. Kenye said the committee under his chairmanship had already met twice, in May and June, and was ready to table its report in the ongoing session. But the enactment of the new central law has forced the committee to revisit its findings.
Kenye explained the crucial legal shift, stating that earlier the requirement was based on an executive directive, and now that it has been enacted by Parliament, it takes the shape of law. He said the committee is now awaiting the official publication of the legislation in the Gazette of India to study its exact provisions before submitting its final report to the Assembly. Till then, he said, the committee cannot take a final call on whether the law can be enforced in Nagaland or whether it requires a protective resolution.
Despite the government’s appeal and assurance of a fresh review, the NSF has refused to back down and has declared that it will continue its protest outside the Assembly gate. The Federation has made it clear that only a formal resolution adopted by the Nagaland Assembly opposing the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in the state would satisfy their demand. The protesters said they view the directive as contrary to their faith and identity and have vowed to sustain their peaceful agitation.
The student body’s firm stand has found support from various quarters, including political representatives. Nagaland’s lone Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir visited the protest site on Thursday, expressed solidarity with the agitating students and assured them that he would take up the matter with the Centre at the highest level. The NSF protest, which has remained peaceful and prayerful, is being closely watched as it brings to the fore the larger debate on national symbols, religious freedom and the special constitutional status of Nagaland under Article 371A.
