India's UPA kills Holi and Janmashtami holidays

01-14-2007, 02:30 PM

UPA’s holiday politics Holi quashed

The UPA government has removed Holi and Janmasthami from the list of
gazetted government holidays. They are now only on the list of
Restricted Holidays, along with 32 other festivals and sacred days.

The government’s move is being seen as yet another please-minorities
policy. Holi, Dusshera and Diwali are among the most important Hindu
festivals. Over the years, Holis has come to represent a social rather
than religious occasion, with non-Hindus also joining in the
celebrations. By taking these two festivals from the gazetted list,
the government has made a statement. Now both strictly Hindu festivals
and Muslim festivals are even in number.

According to the present list, there are three holidays for Muslim
festivals (id-ul-Juha, Muharram and Milad-un-nabi), three for Hindus
(Diwali, Dussehra and Ram Navami), three national festivals
(Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti), two of the
Christians (Good Friday and Christmas), Buddha Purnima, Guru Nanak
Jayanti, and Mahavir Jayanti.

This Year, Holi falls on a Sunday and therefore, the people may not
feel the pinch of losing a holiday.

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