Eid-Bakrd Holidays in Nepal:National Holidays in India.Indian Weekly Holiday on Sunday is neither secular nor correct make it Saturday orThusday

Eid-Bakrd Holidays in Nepal:National Holidays in India.Indian Weekly Holiday on Sunday is neither secular nor correct make it Saturday orThusday

Blog 10.12.2008

After Nepal became a Secular Democracy it has for the first time Eid and bakrid holidays have been declared. Yesterday on 9th December 2008 I listened to that on the BBC in night sevice of news.(after coming from the house of a colleague doctor where due to Gita ekadashi and being vegetarian I had taken only fruit salad and fruits).
There were happy reactions on radio from Muslim Nepalis that they were feeling good . However, no reaction of Hindu public was asked.

Nepal had an identity of Sole Hindu nation so far. Indian Hindus too used to take pride in that. Surprisingly Janki Navami(Baishakh Shukla 9, a month after Ram Navami)has not been declared a national holiday in Nepal though famous Jankpur, the house of maharshi Janak is there!

Muslims are in utter minority in Nepal and if optional holidays to them would have been accorded that would have been more appropriate but they followed indian government in this regard.

In India too the holidays related to festivals should be given to the communities concerned rater than making public holidays to all which hampers normal working.
In the days of Ramzans Muslims even otherwise leave office earlier for which no one objects.
In fact, optional holidays to be given to religion specefic days to all.

If national holidays are to be given to all- the days should be in prorortion to the percentage of poulation and should not be equal on the name of religion. It means out of 16 days- barring for 3(15th Aug.,26th jan. and 2nd October)inj the rest 13 days- 85 per cent (or 10 days)on Hindu Festivals and in 15 per cent i.e. 3 to others on rotation as per their population percent who want to declare themselves Non_Hindus(if Sikh, Baidhs and Jainis want themselve to be treated separately though they are by and large Hindus.
In Nepal weekly holidays are on Saturday-le us see whether they follow Indian Sunday pattern in practice since 1843..
My view is that in India(and all over the world it should be on Saturday as it is the last day of week, Sunday is the first day of week and any weekly TV progrmme on Sunday like Prannoy Roy's in past "The world this week,"should has been "The World Last Week," and Airlines and railways should mark 1 for Sunday not for Monday for their shedule).
A Holiday on the first day is just a joke and even against the Bibilic sayings that God created universe in six days and took rest on seventh(probably Seventh day adventiss sect has Church on saturday.

Otherwise,in India Thursday would be secular as India was free on a Thursday night(night of 14th August- Hindu the majority tradition has day change from morning- Pakistan as per moon seeing too can observe 13th august evening as Thursday and incidentally Bangaldesh liberation was also on 16th dec 1971, a Thursday!
In Chhotangpur, farmers observe do not plough on Thursday !


Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
dhanakarthakur@rediffmail.com