# Nagaland students’ body, church urge skipping I-Day over Vande Mataram

2026-08-13T18:56:17+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has told educational institutions not to send students to Independence Day celebrations where the complete version of Vande Mataram will be sung. The NSF said compulsory participation conflicts with the religious beliefs of non-Hindu students and violates constitutional guarantees under Article 371A. The Nagaland Baptist Church Council also opposed the move, arguing that patriotism must never be reduced to compulsory conformity. Both bodies cited the Union home ministry's January communication that laid down a protocol for singing the national song at official events. The church council called for dialogue and warned against coercion, urging restraint from all stakeholders.

## Coverage

- hindustantimes.com <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nagalands-nsf-asks-students-to-skip-i-day-events-over-vande-mataram-row-101786639802522.html>
- hindustantimes.com <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nagaland-church-council-opposes-move-to-make-singing-of-vande-mataram-mandatory-101786692951026.html>

Tags: Article 371A, Independence Day, Nagaland, NSF, secularism, Vande Mataram
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nagaland-student-body-asks-schools-to-skip-i-day-over-vande-mataram/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nagaland-student-body-asks-schools-to-skip-i-day-over-vande-mataram/#story-in-brief

Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.