Admin wanted women staff to tie rakhis on male colleagues

LAST YEAR, WOMEN MINISTERS IN THE MODI GOVT WENT TO BORDER AREAS TO CELEBRATE THE FESTIVAL

WITH SOLDIERS

The Daman and Diu administration on Wednesday beat a hasty retreat on a circular it had issued asking women staff to tie rakhis on the wrists of male colleagues after the order triggered a backlash from employees and came in for severe social media criticism.

The union territory’s administration was forced to retreat within 24 hours of issuing the circular that made it compulsory for its staff to celebrate Rakshabandhan at workplace.

“It has been decided to celebrate the festival of Rakshabandhan on August 7. In this connection, all offices/ departments shall remain open and celebrate the festival collectively at a suitable time wherein all the lady staff shall tie rakhis to their colleagues,” the order, issued on August 1 by Gurpreet Singh, deputy secretary (personnel), says.

The notice was issued on the direction of UT administrator Praful Khodabhai

Patel, sources said. It was not clear if it was for employees of other faiths as well.

To ensure no one skips office on August 7, the circular says an attendance report will have to be sent to the government the next evening.

The circular was withdrawn through a one-line order issued late Wednesday evening by the UT’s department of personnel and administrative reforms.

The Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan celebrates the brother-sister bond and the diktat has angered the staff. “The circular is ridiculous. There are sensitivities involved. How can the government dictate who I should tie rakhi to? We should maintain the professionalism of a workplace” an official told HT. She refused to be identified.

In 2014, the year BJP stormed to power at the Centre, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had said the festival had “national significance” and should be celebrated widely “to protect Hindu culture and live by the values enshrined in it”. The RSS is the ideological parent of the ruling BJP.

Last year, women ministers in the Modi government went to the border areas to celebrate rakhi with soldiers. A year before, all cabinet ministers were asked to go to their constituencies for the festival.