The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi on Tuesday canceled 15 public holidays, which include births and deaths of prominent personalities. The holidays were brought into existence by the previous government of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP.)
The BSP and SP introduced articles as a part of caste politics as so as to increase their vote bank. However, Adityanath Yogi decided to scrap these 15 holidays for educational institutions. Shrikant Sharma, the Cabinet Minister speaking to the media said, “Instead, students in schools and colleges would now be taught about the great personalities on these days.”
A press release later said government employees also can avail these restricted holidays. On Dr. Ambedkar’s 126th birth anniversary, Adityanath has expressed concern of a reduced academic session because of increased holidays. He said, “There should be no holidays in schools on birth anniversaries of great personalities. Instead, a special two- hour program should be held to teach students about them. The 220 day academic session has been reduced to only 120 days due to such holidays and if this tradition continues, there will be no day left for teaching in schools.”
There are 42 public holidays in UP, of which 17 are birth related. The holidays introduced by the SP include birth anniversaries of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar (April 17,) Maharishi Kashyap and Maharshi Nishadraj Jayanti (April 5,) Hazrat Ajmeri Garib Nawaz Urs (April 26,) Maharana Pratap Jayanti (May 9) besides the death anniversary of Ambedkar (December 6.)
The holidays that have been scrapped by the Adityanath Government include, Jan Nayak Karpori Thakur birth anniversary (January 24,) Maharshi Kashyap and Maharaj Guha birth anniversary (Apr 5,) Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Ajmeri Gareeb Nawaz Urs on (Apr 14,) Chandrashekhar birth anniversary (April 17,) Parashu Ram Jayanti (April 28,) Maharana Pratap Jayanti (May 9,) Jamat Ul Vida on June 23 (last Friday of Ramzan,) Chhat Puja (October 26) Eid Milad Un Nabi (December 2) Chaudhary Charan Singh Jayanti (December 23.)
