Easter ‘working day’ in Manipur sparks slugfest in Kerala
KOCHI: Amid the high-pitched election campaign, a notification by the Manipur government declaring Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday as working days for government offices, corporations and autonomous bodies in the northeastern state triggered a political slugfest between Congress and BJP leaders in distant Kerala.
Following the nationwide furore, the Manipur government revised the order, restoring Easter Sunday holiday, though Saturday is to remain a working day. However, the political heat generated by the initial order continued to resonate throughout the day.
“I am shocked. As you know in our country, we have built a system of mutual respect amongst religions and faiths and particularly respect that people deserve for their special days according to their religious traditions,” said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is locked in an intense triangular contest in Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
“It’s surprising and worrying,” he said. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union minister and BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, said he was “very confident” that the Manipur government would not take any such initiative.
“Easter Sunday should not be a working day,” he said. Quoting news reports, Chandrasekhar said the Manipur government wanted to complete its year-end work and therefore, declared Sunday a working day.
“Christians all over the country will be celebrating and seeking blessings on Easter. I am very confident that there will be no such initiative on the part of the government of Manipur,” he said. BJP state president K Surendran said the allegations regarding Easter Sunday being declared a working day were being raised by the Congress and CPM “without any basis”.
“The Manipur government has stated that the upcoming Good Friday on the 29th and Easter Sunday on the 31st will be observed as public holidays. It is now incumbent upon both the Congress and Communist parties to clarify their stance on condemning the Hamas violence and the terrorist attacks in Russia,” said Surendran, who is contesting from Wayanad.
Christians, who constitute 18.4% of the population in Kerala, are crucial for the chances of all the three fronts -- LDF, UDF and the NDA -- in the state.