Naga Students Rally Against Mandatory 'Vande Mataram'
The Naga Students' Federation is organizing a public rally in Kohima to protest the compulsory imposition of the national song, 'Vande Mataram', following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The federation asserts that enforcing the song conflicts with the religious beliefs of many Naga people, emphasizing the need for educational institutions to remain spaces of learning and dignity.
- Country:
- India
The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) plans a public rally in Kohima on Monday to protest the mandatory imposition of the national song 'Vande Mataram'. This rally is a reaction to a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs mandating the song in official and educational settings.
Set to commence at Old MLA Hostel Junction at Phoolbari at 10 am, participants will march to Lok Bhavan, where a memorandum expressing Naga concerns and demands will be submitted to the President through the governor. The NSF argues that while it respects national symbols, the compulsory nature of 'Vande Mataram' conflicts with the state's religious beliefs.
Emphasizing the state's tradition of peaceful coexistence, the NSF asserts that educational institutions should maintain their integrity as learning environments, free from enforced symbolic practices. The federation has called for peaceful demonstrations across Naga areas on the same day, in solidarity with the Kohima event.
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