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Modi declares holidays on Gurpurb, Good Friday
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3
Worried over the damage caused to his image by the cancellation of the holiday of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary by his government, Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi has started damage control exercise.

After declaring holiday on the occasion of Gurpurab (Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary), Mr Modi today contacted the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal( SAD), Mr Parkash Singh Badal, on the phone to intimate him that the order had been issued declaring Gurpurab as holiday.

Last week Mr Badal had talked to Mr Modi on the phone asking him to review his decision regarding the cancellation of Gurpurab holiday following the breaking of the news by The Tribune that the Gujarat Government had cancelled the holiday. Mr Modi has also sent a copy of the statement issued regarding the declaration of Gurpurab as holiday to the president of the Punjab unit of the BJP, Mr Avinash Rai Khanna.

Obviously, bowing to strong reaction from certain religious minorities and publicmen, the Gujarat Government has announced six additional public holidays for the current year. Besides, the Gurpurab holiday on November 15 (Tuesday) this year, the new Gujarat list has five other holidays, which are Good Friday on March 25, Cheti Chand on April 10, Id-e-Miladunnabi on April 22, Parshuram Jayanti on May 10 and Parsi New Year on June 21 this year.

The cancellation of the Gurpurab holiday in Gujarat had triggered a strong wave of resentment and anger among Sikhs against Mr Modi. Certain Sikh organisations had exhibited their anger publicly by holding rallies in Gujarat. The general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Parminder Singh, had taken up this issue with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

The statement issued by the Information Bureau of the Gujarat Government says that “these six new public holidays have been incorporated in deference to several representations made by the leaders of different religious groups, sects, communities and sections of society to the Government of Gujarat. These holidays will be observed by government offices, boards and corporations and local self-government organisations”.

It is the second time that Mr Modi has been involved in an unsavory controversy with regard to the Sikhs. Earlier, a statement alleged to be made by him regarding the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had led to a furore against Mr Modi among the Sikh community. However, denying that he had ever made such a statement, Mr Modi had then stated that it had been work of his opponents to damage him politically.