NSF has right to hold peaceful protest, says NLA Speaker

Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker, Sharingain Longkumer, on Saturday said the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) had every right to express its views through peaceful protest. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a programme in Dimapur, Longkumer was responding to queries regarding the rally proposed by NSF on March 16 in Kohima against the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in educational institutions.
The speaker acknowledged NSF as the apex student body representing the sentiments and welfare of Naga students across Naga-inhabited areas and said the federation was entitled to express its views through peaceful protest, which he described as a fundamental democratic right. However, he refrained from commenting on whether the protest should or should not be held.
“India is a union of states and the federal structure must be respected. At the same time, we are a secular state and people and organisations have the right to express their sentiments peacefully,” he said, adding that NSF, as a representative body of the younger generation, was entitled to voice its concerns in a democratic manner.
He also recalled that the NLA had unanimously decided to refer the issue to a Select Committee tasked with examining the applicability of central laws in Nagaland in the context of Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India.
He said the committee was significant as it would examine whether central laws were applicable in the state in view of the constitutional safeguards provided to Nagaland. He expressed hope that the committee would submit its recommendations at the earliest so that the state government could examine them and take an appropriate decision.
ZSUN backs NSF stand: Zeliangrong Students’ Union Nagaland (ZSUN) has expressed solidarity with the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) over its opposition to the compulsory observance and singing of Vande Mataram in official functions and educational institutions.
In a press statement, ZSUN president Edward Nring and general secretary Lungsangyile Hinglak said patriotism could not be forced and loyalty to a nation should not be created through compulsion. It stated that mandating the singing of a particular national song in academic spaces and official events undermined democratic values and freedoms.
The union also maintained that such directives disregarded the socio-cultural and customary identity of the Naga people and contravened constitutional safeguards provided under Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India.
ZSUN directed all schools, colleges and educational institutions across Nagaland, particularly those under Peren district, to exercise prudence and refrain from implementing any directive mandating the singing or playing of Vande Mataram, while respecting the collective sentiments of the Naga people.
Further, the union requested educational institutions to observe symbolic and peaceful demonstrations on March 16, 2026, to express resentment against the directive.
ZSUN also instructed all its federating units and subordinate bodies to remain vigilant on the issue and report any related developments promptly so that the collective stance of the student community could be upheld.