Kohima, November 27 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed concern over a recent remark by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, in which he reportedly described India as a “Hindu Rashtra” during an event in Lucknow.
In a press release, the Federation stated that such remarks are not only “unconstitutional but strike at the very foundation of Indians’ secular, pluralistic and democratic ethos.”
India, as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, has a secular character that is not an optional principle open for reinterpretation, it asserted.
It is a binding constitutional mandate that guarantees equal rights, dignity and protection to all citizens irrespective of religion, belief, or cultural identity, it added.
The NSF conveyed that it is “deeply disturbed” that such divisive statements continue to be issued from positions of influence, emboldening majoritarian narratives at the cost of minority communities.
It further noted that the country has been witnessing a pattern of discrimination, targeted violence, and institutionalised prejudice against religious and cultural minorities, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and tribal Indigenous groups. “As Indigenous peoples of the Naga homeland, whose identity, faith, and customs predate the political formation of India, we find such majoritarian assertions deeply concerning,” the NSF stressed.
The Nagas, in particular, have long asserted their right to self-determination and to coexist with dignity within a democratic and secular framework, it held.
The narrative of a singular ‘Hindu Rashtra’ dangerously undermines the constitutional promise of equality and violates the secular character of the Republic, it added.
Accordingly, the NSF called upon the Government of India to reaffirm its commitment to preserving secularism as the supreme guiding principle of the Republic and to take necessary steps to restrain statements that destabilise the constitutional fabric.
Further, it urged all democratic and secular forces across the country to stand united against the growing attempts to redefine India through majoritarian ideology.
The NSF also reiterated its unwavering commitment to the protection of universal rights, Indigenous identity, and the constitutional values that ensure freedom and equality for all.
Any attempt to weaken the secular character of the Union of India must be challenged with clarity, conviction, and collective resolve, it added.
