By Sami Ahmad
PATNA—Is it a coincidence or a connivance between some newspapers and the Bharatiya Janata Party who have spread misinformation about curtailment of holidays for Hindu festivals and increasing the number of holidays for Muslims. Whatever be the reason, the only idea for such a misinformation seems to polarize the Bihar society on religious and communal lines.
Two prominent newspapers published a news report on Tuesday that there would be no holiday on Saraswati Puja, Mahashivratri, Jankai Navmi and Janmashtmi etc. in 2024 in the Bihar government-run schools. It is not clear if the news was published by the media first or spread by the Bhartiya Janata Party leaders first.
Everyone was surprised by such news initially but later it was revealed that such a claim was completely misleading and the BJP leaders were indulging in communal disinformation. Many TV news channels too were involved in spreading this misinformation.
According to the holidays’ list released by the education department for general schools of Bihar government, all such holidays continue which has been declared as abolished by the newspaper reports. For example, the holiday of Basant Panchami or Saraswati is declared on 24 February, Wednesday. The holiday of Mahashivratri is on March 8. Janaki Navmi’s holiday is scheduled for May 17. Similarly, the holiday for Krishna Janmashtmi is on August 26.
There was also misinformation that the number of holidays on the occasion of Eid, Bakrid and Muharram has been increased. But the holidays list for general government schools mentions just one holiday for Eid ul Fitr on April 11. Similarly, for Eid ul Azha the holiday is on June 18 while for Moharram there is only one holiday on July 18.
Media and Bhartiya Janata Party leaders ignored the list of holidays for general government schools and started to comment on the list of holidays which is meant only for the Urdu schools. The education department of Bihar government has issued two separate holiday lists; one for general schools and the other for Urdu schools. In Urdu schools weekly holiday is given on Friday instead of Sunday since its inception. Some time back, there was a controversy created regarding Friday holiday but this issue settled down as the reality was explained.
There are equal numbers of holidays, sixty each, in both the list of holidays. The question is why this fuss when the number of holidays in both general and Urdu schools is the same? The notification of holidays says that according to the Right to Education, teaching for 220 days is mandatory in schools.
Some holidays are covered during the summer vacation also. Despite this clarity, BJP MP from Begusarai and Union minister Giriraj Singh posted on his X handle, “Holidays on many Hindu festivals has been abolished and holidays on Eid-Muharram has been increased, this is also part of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’.”
He did not stop there and said in a video message posted on his social media platform X, “The way Lalu Yadav and the Nitish government are attacking Hindus, in the future they will be known as Mohammad Nitish and Mohammad Lalu.” He even used the term ‘Islamic Republic of Bihar’ to criticize the Nitish government.
Giriraj Singh is known for his motor mouth but even Sushil Kumar Modi indulged in disinformation who is considered a serious leader. He alleged that the Bihar government is bent on appeasement in view of the coming election. He wrote on his X handle, “Cancelling holidays on Hindu festivals is indicative of anti-Hindu mentality.”
BJP state president Samrat Chaudhary claimed that the government would take this decision back like it did earlier. He declared the Bihar government is anti-Sanatana and a slanderer of Sri Ramcharitmanas.
He also claimed that five lakh teachers would never accept this order of the Nitish Kumar government. Another senior BJP leader Ashwini Choubey claimed in his post on X, “Once again, the anti-Hindu face of the uncle-nephew government came to the fore. On one hand, holidays for Muslim festivals are being extended in schools, while holidays for Hindu festivals are being abolished.”
Similarly, the leader of the BJP legislature party Vijay Sinha said that the ‘Tuglak-like order’ is a blow to the religious freedom of Hindus and the government would have to take that back.
Along with BJP leaders RSS mouthpiece ‘Panchjanya’ parroted the same line. Panchjanya posted on X: “Islamic Republic of Bihar!
This is the list of Bihar government holidays.
Festivals of Muslims:
Eid- 3 days
Bakrid- 3 days
Moharram- 2 days
Festivals of Hindus
Ramnavami-0
Mahashivratri-0
Rakshabandhan-0
Saraswati Puja-0.”
As discussed earlier, this list is completely misleading. If one sees the list of holidays for general schools most of the holidays claimed to be missing are, in fact, included. Only the Urdu schools’ holiday list does not have that.
Even the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) quickly jumped in this campaign. It has issued a notice to the chief secretary of Bihar in this regard without knowing the fact.
The chief spokesperson of Chief Minister’s Janata Dal (United) Niraj Kumar said that there is no curtailment in holidays for Hindu festivals. He said that disinformation is being spread against Nitish government. He said that in the list for general schools, holiday for Shab-e-Barat has been abolished.
Many observers say that the government should book those who have spread disinformation regarding holidays list but it seems that the leaders of the ruling party are too lenient in this regard.
