KG Kenye, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of Nagaland and Chairperson of the Committee to Examine the Applicability of Laws Passed by Parliament, has written to the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) President Mteisuding Heraang today regarding the compulsory singing and playing of “Vande Mataram” in the state.
In the letter, Kenye clarified that on the first day of the Eighth Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 2, the instrumental version of the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram was played on the arrival and departure of the Governor, in compliance with the Executive Order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, vide No. 14/2/2025-Public dated 28th January 2026, on the subject “Orders relating to the National Song of India”.
He said that the matter was raised by the Members of the House and was subsequently referred to the Committee to Examine the Applicability of Laws Passed by Parliament for examination and recommendation.
The Committee held sittings on March 18, May 18 and June 24 to deliberate upon the matter and adopted its report, which was proposed to be laid before the House during the ongoing session.
However, in view of the recent “The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026”, which has been passed by both Houses of Parliament and is presently waiting to be published in the Gazette of India, the report was not presented to the House.
“The Committee has, therefore, decided, as an interim measure, to withhold the report until the final outcome of the aforesaid Bill is known. The Committee proposes to revisit the matter thereafter, taking into consideration the collective views and sentiments of the people of Nagaland,” Kenye said.
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Thursday announced intensified democratic agitation against the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram at government programmes, stating that it would not compromise on the issue until the Nagaland government takes a clear stand against its imposition.
Addressing a press conference at the NSF office in Kohima, NSF president Mteisuding Heraang said Thursday marked the second day of the federation’s democratic agitation and described the day’s protest, termed a “singing revolution,” as successful.
Heraang said the NSF had received a letter from the Nagaland government, signed by KG Kenye, citing certain complications and limitations and informing that a committee had been constituted to examine the issue from the legal perspective.
He, however, said the NSF maintained that the Government of India’s notification of August 6, 2026, had clearly provided for the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram during formal government programmes.
“Today, Naga Students’ Federation outrightly rejects the imposition of Vande Mataram against the Naga people,” Heraang said.
