A protest by the Naga Students’ Federation entered its second day outside the Nagaland Assembly on Thursday. The federation was demonstrating against a directive that makes the singing of Vande Mataram compulsory at official functions. Outside the legislature, members gathered and sang Christian hymns, including “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” to show their dissent against the order.
Inside the House, the controversy dominated Zero Hour after a legislator raised the matter on the floor. A parliamentary affairs minister told the House that recent presidential assent to a national honours law had complicated the legal picture and forced a fresh review by a legislative committee. Meanwhile, an appeal was made on behalf of the state government for the students to suspend their protest, but the federation rejected the appeal, insisting it will not stand down unless the Assembly formally passes a resolution rejecting the compulsory singing requirement.
Adding a national dimension to the standoff, the state’s sole Lok Sabha member visited the protest site to express solidarity with the students and pledged to raise the issue with the central government in Delhi.