Nagaland minister Temjen Imna Along posted a video of a young girl singing Jana Gana Mana, asking what further proof of being Indian anyone needs.
Nagaland is part of India, and educated, sensible people are expected to treat its residents as equals. Yet when people from the Northeast enter the Hindi-speaking belt, and reach cities in Uttar Pradesh or Delhi, some seem to lose their balance entirely — mistaking them for Chinese and passing judgement on their Hindi.
Against that backdrop, a Nagaland minister has shared a video of a small girl singing the national anthem and attached a pointed message.
Temjen Imna Along, who holds the tourism and higher education portfolios in the Nagaland government, posted footage of the child singing "Jana Gana Mana". The clip has moved viewers and drawn widespread affection.
Nagaland is home to numerous languages, and speaking in Hindi can feel unfamiliar for many there. The ease with which the girl delivers the anthem in the video, however, has won people over.
Hearing India's national anthem fills any Indian with pride. The girl, who appears to be under five years old, holds a microphone and sings with obvious care and respect. From the opening line to the last, she remembers the entire anthem despite her age. The moment has touched viewers, who have expressed their feelings through comments.
Along captioned the video with a simple question: what more evidence is needed of being Indian?
The line carries a message for those who harass people from the Northeast. In recent days, Along has also been reacting on X to incidents that have taken place. His personality online has been described by many as endearing.
Users responded to his post by expressing anger towards those who demand proof of nationality. One wrote, "No proof is needed, sir, we all love you. Proof is wanted only by those who wish to break the country." Another said, "We never asked for proof. Those asking for proof are the ones with impurity in their blood."
