The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has reiterated its opposition to any directive or practice that seeks to impose the singing of Vande Mataram, particularly upon members of the Christian community, saying patriotism should arise from “willing participation and shared love for the nation, rather than through compulsion.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NBCC said its position on the matter, which had earlier been published in local dailies, “remains unchanged and unequivocal.”
The council said it fully respects “the national symbols, patriotic sentiments, and constitutional values of India”, but maintained that matters concerning faith, conscience, religious conviction and deeply held identity require “the highest degree of sensitivity, wisdom, and respect.”
The NBCC said national symbols, patriotic expressions and the ideals of national unity have a rightful place in public life. However, it said patriotism must be understood within the framework of India’s constitutional commitment to “liberty, equality, pluralism, and freedom of conscience.”
“National unity cannot be strengthened by compelling citizens to participate in an expression that, for reasons of faith or conscience, they may not be able to embrace,” it stated.
The council stressed that India’s diversity of faith, culture, language, tradition and conscience is a defining characteristic of the country.
“Diversity is not an obstacle to national unity; it is one of the defining characteristics of India,” the NBCC said.
It further said that when a particular song, symbol, practice or public expression carries different meanings for different communities, the State and public institutions have a responsibility to exercise sensitivity and restraint.
“Unity must not be confused with uniformity, and patriotism must never be reduced to compulsory conformity,” it said, adding that a citizen’s love for the nation “cannot fairly or legitimately be measured solely by willingness to participate in one prescribed form of patriotic expression.”
NBCC acknowledges NSF concerns
The NBCC acknowledged and appreciated the concerns expressed by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), recognising its efforts to articulate the concerns and sentiments of the student community.
At the same time, it urged all stakeholders to ensure that responses to the issue remain peaceful, responsible and respectful.
“Legitimate disagreement must never become an excuse for hostility, intimidation, division, or confrontation,” the council said.
The NBCC said coercion was not a sustainable foundation for genuine national integration.
“Compulsion may produce outward compliance, but it cannot produce genuine loyalty, conviction, or belonging,” it stated.
According to the council, “Respect, mutual understanding, trust, and dialogue are far stronger foundations upon which a diverse democracy can build national unity.”
It said that where citizens hold differing convictions, the appropriate response is not to silence or compel them, but to “listen, understand, accommodate, and engage in meaningful dialogue.”
“Respecting conscientious objection does not weaken the nation,” the NBCC said. “On the contrary, it demonstrates confidence in the maturity of our democracy and strengthens the trust between citizens and institutions.”
The council appealed to the Government and its authorities, educational institutions, student organisations, churches, civil society and the wider public to exercise “wisdom, restraint, and constitutional sensitivity” in addressing the matter.
“The concerns of citizens must be heard, and differences of conscience and conviction must be treated with dignity and respect,” it said.
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The NBCC also called upon all stakeholders to express their positions “peacefully and constructively”, stressing that disagreements concerning national symbols or patriotic practices should not become a source of communal tension or social division.
‘We cannot remain silent’
The council said that as a Church organisation, it had “no desire to politicize this matter or create unnecessary confrontation.”
“Nevertheless, we cannot remain silent when a practice is imposed in a manner that may infringe upon the deeply held convictions and freedom of conscience of sections of our citizens,” it stated.
The NBCC said its earlier position therefore stands, particularly regarding “any compulsory imposition of a practice that conflicts with the religious or conscientious convictions of individuals or communities.”
“At this juncture, what India needs is not greater polarization, but greater sensitivity; not coercion, but understanding; not conformity, but mutual respect; not confrontation, but dialogue,” the council said.
It urged stakeholders to “step back from rhetoric that divides” and reaffirm the principles that hold the country’s diverse population together.
“True patriotism has the confidence to embrace diversity while remaining committed to the common good of the nation,” it stated.
The NBCC said India’s unity would be strongest when every citizen, “irrespective of faith, community, culture, or conviction”, can say with confidence that there is a rightful place for them in the nation and that their conscience will be respected.
The council reiterated its commitment to “mutual respect, freedom of conscience, justice, peace, constitutional values, and the dignity of every citizen”, saying these principles, rather than compulsion or forced uniformity, provide “the surest foundation for a stronger, more united, peaceful, and harmonious India.”
The statement was signed by Rev Dr Mar Pongener, General Secretary, NBCC, and Dr Villo Naleo, Secretary, Social Concern, NBCC.
