Development comes amid ongoing debate in Nagaland following MHA directive on playing of the National song
Students at Nagaland University were seen remaining seated while the national song Vande Mataram was played during the university’s 8th Convocation held at Lumami on Friday, March 6.
The convocation ceremony was attended by CP Radhakrishnan, the Vice President of India, who graced the event as the chief guest. Radhakrishnan is on his first official visit to the North Eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura from March 6 to 8, 2026.
During the convocation ceremony, some students were observed remaining seated when the song was played.
The development comes amid an ongoing debate in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly over the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram, following discussions around a directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India regarding the playing of the song and the national anthem at official functions.
Several organisations in the state, including the Naga Students’ Federation, the Naga Peoples’ Front – an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and church bodies, have expressed opposition to its inclusion, citing cultural and religious concerns linked to the constitutional protections provided under Article 371A of the Constitution of India.
Organisations have argued that the national song “contradicts the special provisions under Article 371A of the Constitution of India which safeguard the religious beliefs and customary practices of the people of Nagaland.”
