The seventh session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), which got underway on February 12, ended before schedule on Friday with its share of a new tradition. Cabinet minister and president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland state unit Temjen Imna Along said the state Assembly has created history by playing the National Anthem for the first time before Governor RN Ravi’s inaugural address.
Assembly commissioner and secretary Dr PJ Antony confirmed this, saying that playing the National Anthem was never the convention in the Nagaland Assembly for unknown reasons. But, he added there is not much to read between the lines because when the National Anthem was included as part of the Governor’s address in the house this time and the move was well-received by all the members.
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While a retired commissioner and secretary of the Assembly also said it was not the norm to have the National Anthem played in the house during his time, a former aide of two former chief ministers and an ex-governor, Sebastian Zumvu felt differently.
He said it was a normal practice to have the National Anthem played not only in the Assembly hall but also at various public events wherever the Governor, as the constitutional head of the state, went.
{{/usCountry}}He said it was a normal practice to have the National Anthem played not only in the Assembly hall but also at various public events wherever the Governor, as the constitutional head of the state, went.
{{/usCountry}}A former speaker of the Assembly, Neiba Ndang, whom the Hindustan Times reached out to, responded that this was not the practice during his tenure.
“But nothing is wrong if they start playing the National Anthem as part of the Governor’s address in the Assembly. It was just not in practice during my time,” he stated.
Another former speaker Chotisuh Sazo also said it was not the tradition before but some Governors insisted the National Anthem was played wherever they went, however, it was not mandatory.