The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has opposed any directive or practice that seeks to make the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory, particularly for members of the Christian community, saying patriotism should not be enforced through compulsory conformity.
In a statement, NBCC general secretary Rev Dr Mar Pongener and secretary for social concern Dr Villo Naleo said the council respected India’s national symbols, patriotic sentiments and constitutional values. However, they stressed that matters of faith, conscience, religious conviction and identity required sensitivity and respect.
The council said India’s constitutional framework upheld liberty, equality, pluralism and freedom of conscience, and argued that national unity should not be equated with uniformity. It maintained that love for the country could not be measured solely through participation in a prescribed patriotic expression.
The NBCC highlighted India’s diversity of religions, cultures, languages, traditions and beliefs and urged state authorities and public institutions to exercise restraint when national symbols or practices carried different meanings for different communities.
It also cautioned against hostility, intimidation and confrontation, saying such responses could deepen social and communal divisions. The council called instead for dialogue, mutual understanding, accommodation and respect for conscientious objection.
The NBCC said coercion might produce outward compliance but could not create genuine loyalty, conviction or a sense of belonging. It appealed to the government, educational institutions, student organisations, churches, civil society groups and the public to approach the matter with wisdom, restraint and constitutional sensitivity.
The statement came ahead of Independence Day celebrations on August 15, when ‘Vande Mataram’ will be rendered at the Red Fort complex in New Delhi before the National Anthem. According to the Defence Ministry, the programme will mark 150 years of the song’s enduring legacy and highlight the contribution of India’s youth towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
