01-16-2007, 02:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Hurting Hindus </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
UPA drops Holi from holiday list
Strange are the ways of the UPA Government. Taking its Muslim appeasement policy to an absurd limit, it has now decreed that Holi, celebrated by Hindus across the country, shall not be a gazetted holiday. The list of gazetted holidays for 2007, released by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, whose work is directly supervised by the <b>Prime Minister, mentions five Muslim festivals - Eid-ul Zuha, Muharram, Milad-un-Nabi, Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Zuha. It also clarifies that since Eid-ul Juha "falls twice in the year", both occasions must be observed as compulsory holidays in all Central Government offices</b>. Enforcing a strange parity in keeping with its perverse notion of 'secularism' and to pander to the clergy-dominated Muslim leadership, such as it is, the<b> UPA Government has declared five Hindu festivals as compulsory holidays - Maha Shivaratri, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Dussehra and Diwali. Two Christian festivals - Good Friday and Christmas - and one each of Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, have been listed as compulsory holidays. </b>In effect, the UPA Government has asserted that the country's overwhelming majority must suffer in silence for the sake of the regime's deplorable vote-bank politics. It also means that Hindu sentiments count for nothing with a Prime Minister who is obsessed with solving imagined grievances of Muslims and communalising Government policy to further his party's electoral prospects to the detriment of the nation. That parties across the spectrum have chosen to remain silent over this insult and injury heaped upon Hindus is reflective of their mistaken belief that Hindu sensitivities can be trampled upon without any concern.
It has been pointed out by drum-beaters of the UPA Government that it makes little sense to declare Holi a gazetted holiday since it falls on Sunday. If that be the case, the Government owes an explanation as to why Milad-un-Nabi, Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary, and Eid-ul Fitr, which also fall on Sunday, have been listed as gazetted holidays. Of course, there can be no sensible explanation because the logic, if at all this word can be used, behind the decision is toxic and the intention diabolical. In the past, mindful of sensitivities and sentiments, Holi has been listed as a gazetted holiday while State Governments have been allowed the freedom to declare the preceding or following day as a restricted holiday. This year's callous move is of a piece with the decision taken by <b>Mr VP Singh's Government to declare Milad-un-Nabi as a gazetted holiday, making India one of the rare countries to observe Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary</b>. That Saudi Arabia does not follow this tradition was conveniently ignored by a Prime Minister whose cynical political agenda finally became his undoing. The Prime Minister is welcome to believe that he can treat Hindus with contempt and disregard their festivals. Probably he will go up in the esteem of his political masters by doing so. But he would be utterly naive to think he can get away by so brazenly pushing his "Muslims first" agenda; he may be applauded by the neo-converts to Sufiana secularism and those who look down upon Hindu festivals. That does not necessarily mean the rest of India - including, it must be said, many Muslims and Christians - will be cheering him in this detestable act.Â
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
UPA drops Holi from holiday list
Strange are the ways of the UPA Government. Taking its Muslim appeasement policy to an absurd limit, it has now decreed that Holi, celebrated by Hindus across the country, shall not be a gazetted holiday. The list of gazetted holidays for 2007, released by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, whose work is directly supervised by the <b>Prime Minister, mentions five Muslim festivals - Eid-ul Zuha, Muharram, Milad-un-Nabi, Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Zuha. It also clarifies that since Eid-ul Juha "falls twice in the year", both occasions must be observed as compulsory holidays in all Central Government offices</b>. Enforcing a strange parity in keeping with its perverse notion of 'secularism' and to pander to the clergy-dominated Muslim leadership, such as it is, the<b> UPA Government has declared five Hindu festivals as compulsory holidays - Maha Shivaratri, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Dussehra and Diwali. Two Christian festivals - Good Friday and Christmas - and one each of Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, have been listed as compulsory holidays. </b>In effect, the UPA Government has asserted that the country's overwhelming majority must suffer in silence for the sake of the regime's deplorable vote-bank politics. It also means that Hindu sentiments count for nothing with a Prime Minister who is obsessed with solving imagined grievances of Muslims and communalising Government policy to further his party's electoral prospects to the detriment of the nation. That parties across the spectrum have chosen to remain silent over this insult and injury heaped upon Hindus is reflective of their mistaken belief that Hindu sensitivities can be trampled upon without any concern.
It has been pointed out by drum-beaters of the UPA Government that it makes little sense to declare Holi a gazetted holiday since it falls on Sunday. If that be the case, the Government owes an explanation as to why Milad-un-Nabi, Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary, and Eid-ul Fitr, which also fall on Sunday, have been listed as gazetted holidays. Of course, there can be no sensible explanation because the logic, if at all this word can be used, behind the decision is toxic and the intention diabolical. In the past, mindful of sensitivities and sentiments, Holi has been listed as a gazetted holiday while State Governments have been allowed the freedom to declare the preceding or following day as a restricted holiday. This year's callous move is of a piece with the decision taken by <b>Mr VP Singh's Government to declare Milad-un-Nabi as a gazetted holiday, making India one of the rare countries to observe Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary</b>. That Saudi Arabia does not follow this tradition was conveniently ignored by a Prime Minister whose cynical political agenda finally became his undoing. The Prime Minister is welcome to believe that he can treat Hindus with contempt and disregard their festivals. Probably he will go up in the esteem of his political masters by doing so. But he would be utterly naive to think he can get away by so brazenly pushing his "Muslims first" agenda; he may be applauded by the neo-converts to Sufiana secularism and those who look down upon Hindu festivals. That does not necessarily mean the rest of India - including, it must be said, many Muslims and Christians - will be cheering him in this detestable act.Â
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