In a notification, Delhi University has marked June 29, a gazetted holiday owing to Eid-ul-Adha, a working day to complete all arrangements before Friday’s valedictory function, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest.
However, employees who wish to celebrate the festival have been given the option not to attend the office, the notification read.
The move has triggered outrage on social media.
“The list of Gazetted Holidays has been known to the University much before the year 2023. No emergent situation or calamity has struck…We demand that the University Administration retracts this undesirable notification,” said a statement from the Democratic Federation of Teachers.
“June 29 is a mandatory holiday for celebrating Eid-ul-Adha and has been notified in the Gazette of India. Members of the Muslim community celebrate Eid-ul-Adha. Members of other communities join these celebrations.”
It stated that the administration has a “sectarian mindset, lack of sensitivity and deliberate attempt to isolate one community”.
Reacting to the notification, DU professor Apoorvanand tweeted,” The DU notification making the day of Id ul Zuha a working day without even mentioning Id ul Zuha and exempting those who want to celebrate ‘the festival’ makes one wonder if such a directive is possible for festivals like Holi.”
“The (in)competent authority of Delhi University cancels the Bakrid holiday to please their masters in the sectarian Modi govt. Oh, there’s a big concession: Those who ‘wish to celebrate’ Bakrid are exempted! Will they limit all religious holidays to only those who celebrate them?” Twitter handle of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee posted.
