Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and Minister-in-Charge of Home Y. Patton has said that the state government will not force anyone to sing Vande Mataram amid controversy surrounding the Centre’s directive on the singing of the national song in schools and official programmes.
Speaking to mediapersons at Dimapur Airport on Thursday, Patton said participation in singing Vande Mataram should remain a matter of individual choice.
“Nobody is forced to sing, and nobody will be asked to sing, and nobody can stop anyone from singing,” Patton said.
His statement comes amid opposition to the Centre’s directive from several Naga civil society organisations, including the Naga Students’ Federation and the Nagaland Baptist Church Council.
Patton said the state government could not say that it would enforce the directive, making it clear that the government would not compel anyone to participate in singing the national song.
He also indicated that the matter could be discussed during the forthcoming ninth session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on September 1.
When asked whether the state government would examine the implications of compulsory observance of the Centre’s directive in the context of Article 371(A) of the Constitution, Patton said the constitutional provision would not be affected by the issue.
The deputy chief minister also commented on the ongoing eviction drive near the Merapani border, where eviction notices were reportedly served to 59 houses by the Assam government.
He said Border Magistrates from Assam and Nagaland were carrying out an investigation and verification process to determine the status of the residents living in the affected area.
Patton cautioned against identifying the area specifically as a Lotha area, saying the residents could either be Nagas or illegal immigrants.
“We will find out, and we will examine the report,” he said.
He said the Nagaland government would wait for the verification report before reaching any conclusion on the matter.
On the issue of human-elephant conflict, Patton referred questions to the state’s Forest Minister.
The remarks by the deputy chief minister have come at a time when the proposed observance of Vande Mataram has generated discussion and opposition among some organisations in Nagaland, with the state government maintaining that participation in singing the national song will not be made compulsory.
