Holiday restrictions upset minorities

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">GANDHINAGAR/AHMEDABAD: After Christians, now Muslims are up in arms against the state government for curtailing the public holiday, that of Id-e-Milad (Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) on May 3.<br /><br />Last month, the government had angered the Christian community by cancelling the holiday on Good Friday that fell on April 9.<br /><br />This year, apart from Id-e-Milad, the Gujarat government has transferred four other holidays — Parshuram Jayanti, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Good Friday and Pateti (the Parsi New Year) — from the list of public holidays to the ‘restricted’ category.<br /><br />The decision to reduce the number of public holidays was taken at a meeting headed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi in October last year, said a senior official.It was felt that the ‘karmacharis’ should work as ‘karmayogis’, and there were too many public holidays. Enough care was taken to maintain “communal balance� while slashing them.<br /><br />Minority leaders, however, feel that by bracketing their religious holidays with the restricted holidays’ category, the government has shown that it is prejudiced. “This is the first time that holidays for festivals like Good Friday and Id-e-Milad have been curtailed by this or any other state. After a lot of protests, we got exams cancelled on Good Friday, but could not get it declared as a public holiday,� said national executive member of All India Christian Council, Samson Christian.<br /><br />“We are preparing a detailed memorandum which we will present at national and even international forums, as such discrimination goes against the UN Charter of Freedom for Religion,� he said. Corporator for Gomtipur ward Iqbal Sheikh says: “When the Centre issued a notification last year that every citizen has a right to observe his religious festivals, then why is the state government being defiant?<br /><br />This is simply a ploy to harass minorities in the state.� Leaders of the Muslim community have written to the governor requesting him to get a holiday declared on the occasion of Id.<br /><br />Director of Centre for Social Justice Valjibhai Patel said that before curtailing holidays of minorities, the government should at least consult them. “A consensus should be evolved after consulting unions and minority leaders before withdrawing holidays,� Patel added. Says Surjit Singh Bagga, president of Ahmedabad Gurudwara committee: “We are also Indians and the government should respect our religious feelings. It should declare holiday on at least one Sikh festival which could be celebrated by our community members.�<br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>