Nagaland Withholds Vande Mataram Panel Report as Student Protests Intensify
Nagaland has withheld a legislative panel report on the Vande Mataram order, citing a pending central bill, even as the Naga Students' Federation intensifies protests.
The Nagaland government has decided to temporarily withhold a legislative committee's report on the compulsory playing and singing of "Vande Mataram" at official events, citing the pending passage of a central law on the matter. The decision comes as the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) has announced an intensified campaign against the directive.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs KG Kenye, who chairs the Committee to Examine the Applicability of Laws Passed by Parliament, communicated the decision in a letter to NSF President Mteisuding Heraang. The committee, which met on March 18, May 18, and June 24, had adopted its report and planned to table it during the ongoing assembly session.
However, Kenye explained that the report was withheld in light of "The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026," which has been passed by both houses of Parliament and is awaiting publication in the Gazette of India. The committee will revisit the matter once the bill's final outcome is known, taking into account the views of the people of Nagaland.
The issue dates back to March 2, when an instrumental version of the first two stanzas of the national song was played during the Governor's arrival and departure at the assembly, following a Ministry of Home Affairs executive order. The matter was raised by legislators and referred to the committee for examination.
Meanwhile, the NSF has rejected the government's position. Addressing a press conference in Kohima, Heraang said the federation would not compromise until the state takes a clear stand against the imposition. He described the second day of the protest, termed a "singing revolution," as successful, and outrightly rejected the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram for the Naga people.