While children have been spared trudging to school on Christmas Day, a public holiday not only in India but all across the world, some bureaucrats may not be so lucky. December 25 has been declared “Good Governance Day” to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who turns 90 that day, and while it is a fine objective for the NDA government to be seen working 24x7 around the year, led by a workaholic PM, calling government employees to work on a major religious festival may just be stretching things too far.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the BJP desiring to celebrate the birthday of one of its tallest leaders, but the government imposing itself on its officials on such a day betrays an intent that can easily be misunderstood.
Indians love their holidays, and most religious festivals — be it Diwali, Christmas or Id — by and large have a truly secular feel in this country. Essential services run on all days, but even here a person’s faith is given due consideration while drawing up duty rosters. People are also given optional holidays on religious festival days that don’t fall in the notified category.
Given all this, it was not advisable on the BJP’s part to insist that some individuals come to work on December 25. There is a lot to be said in favour of initiatives like Swachh Bharat, but none of them need to be imposed on people on the most important festival of one of this country’s major religions.
