NCPCR Seeks Bihar Govt's Report On Scrapping Hindu Holidays In Govt Schools

The National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Bihar government to take immediate action over the alleged reduction in "Hindu holidays", proposed for government schools across the state for next year.

"The commission has received a complaint regarding a notification issued by the Department of Education in Bihar. As per the complaint, the Department has reduced the number of holidays on the occasion of Hindu festivals whereas substantial holidays are being given for other festivals such as Eid," a statement from the NCPCR said.

It has asked Nitish Kumar's government to take "immediate action in the matter to ensure that all children get equal opportunity of celebrating their religious festival." Also, it has directed the Bihar government to submit the report on the action taken on the issue in seven days.

On the other hand, the BJP has slammed the Bihar government after it reportedly reduced the holidays for the state-run schools during the Hindu festivals.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the Hindu holidays have been slashed while increasing the number of holidays for the Muslim festival. "This clearly shows that Nitish Kumar-led Bihar Govt is working in the state on the basis of Islamic religious beliefs...CM Nitish Kumar will have to suffer in the upcoming elections if these holidays are not reinstated," he added.

According to recent reports, the Bihar education department released the holiday calendar for 2024, emphasizing the need for a minimum of 220 teaching days in compliance with the Right to Education. The updated calendar for 2024 reflects significant changes, including an extension of summer vacation from 20 to 30 days.

However, the education department has claimed that the confusion has arisen because of two notifications it brought out on Monday, which pertained to separate holiday calendars for Hindi and Urdu medium schools.

It has clarified that the total number of holidays proposed for 2024 stands at 60 and is "the same as the preceding years".

The department explicitly stated that the 2024 calendars did not include the birth anniversaries of Emperor Asoka, Lord Mahavira, and Veer Kunwar Singh, as these occasions coincided with the summer vacation period. Additionally, it clarified that the summer break was scheduled earlier than usual, from April 15 to May 15, in consideration of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Nonetheless, the BJP, the former ally of the JDU, criticised the government alleging that holidays falling on Muslim festivals have been increased while Hindus were being made to forego offs on Janmashtami, Ram Navami and Maha Shivaratri.

"The government in Bihar is following Islamic rule, a reason why weekly offs have been allowed on Fridays in Muslim majority districts like Araria, Kishanganj and Purnea, besides raising the number of days schools will be closed for Eid and Bakrid," Union minister Giriraj Singh alleged.

Rejecting the charges, Neeraj Kumar, the chief spokesperson of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), said, "It is a canard to say Muslim holidays have been increased. The number of days for which schools will remain closed during Shabebaraat has been reduced. Weekly offs on Fridays in Muslim majority localities is a convention that is followed in many states," said Neeraj Kumar, an MLC.