Manipur govt. order declaring Easter as working day revoked
A Manipur government order declaring March 31, which is Easter Sunday, a working day for all public offices in the conflictridden State ignited public outrage on Thursday, following which the government was forced to modify the order and clarify that both Good Friday and Easter Sunday would remain holidays.
On Wednesday, the Manipur government issued orders in the name of the Governor, declaring that March 30, Saturday, and March 31, Sunday, would be working days for all government offices in the State.
According to the 2011 Census, 41.2% of Manipur’s population is Christian.
The move drew sharp reactions from the Scheduled Tribes in the State, especially the KukiZo community, which has borne the brunt of the fatalities in the ongoing ethnic conflict.
Many called it another attempt to target them by a “Meiteimajority” government. Christian rights groups such as the United Christians Forum (UCF) also called for the order to be withdrawn, calling it unconstitutional.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor reacted to the or
The move had drawn sharp reactions from the Scheduled Tribes, especially the KukiZo community
der, saying, “It is surprising and worrying. It has come in the aftermath of a devastating year in Manipur where violence happened.”
‘Spreading falsehoods’
Soon afterwards, BJP MPs such as Prakash Javadekar and party leaders such as Kerala unit president K. Surendran posted statements on ◣ accusing the Congress of “spreading falsehoods”.
UCF national coordinator A.C. Michael, a former member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, told The Hindu: “It seems like a deliberate attempt. It is not possible that they are not aware how important the day is, despite running a State with a 41% Christian population.”
“It is related to the new political narrative we are seeing across the country which demeans minorities,” Mr. Michael said, adding that the UCF’s helpline for antiChristian violence had recorded 731 violent incidents against Christians in 2023, a significant increase since the helpline started functioning in 2015.