GUWAHATI The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has opposed the Centre’s order to play or sing the revised version of Vande Mataram, the National Song, at official events to mark India’s 80th Independence Day. The church body’s opposition follows the Naga Students’ Federation’s call to ensure that schools and other educational institutions do not send their students to participate in the Independence Day programmes. The students’ body also said students who decline to sing Vande Mataram “on grounds of conscience or religious beliefs” should not face disciplinary action or discrimination. In a statement on Thursday (August 13, 2026) evening, the NBCC said it was against any directive or practice that seeks to compel citizens, particularly Christians, to sing Vande Mataram. It maintained that patriotism should arise from willing participation and a shared love for the nation rather than compulsion. At the same time, the church body called upon all stakeholders to express their positions peacefully and constructively, cautioning that disagreement over national symbols or patriotic practices should not become a source of communal tension or social division. The NBCC …