‘Why has Centre not declared a holiday on Netaji’s birth anniv’

Kolkata: At a time when the Centre has announced that all Central establishments will remain closed for half a day on January 22 for the inauguration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, the Bengal CPI(M) questioned the Narendra Modi-led Union government why it has not declared a holiday on the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23.

The Centre’s department of Personnel & Training is learnt to have announced that all Central government offices will be closed for half a day across the country to enable employees to participate in the celebrations of Ram Mandir inauguration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the consecration ceremony of the new Ram Temple at Ayodhya on the same day. All Central government offices (including banks), central institutions, and central industrial establishments throughout India will be closed till 2:30 pm on January 22. Even some of the private schools in the city too have decided to keep their classes suspended on January 22, albeit without mentioning any exact reason but just leaving it to “unavoidable circumstances” in their notices.

The private school in Ruby Park informed that for students in Classes II to XII, classes will be suspended on Monday. Therefore, the practice test of class X scheduled on Monday, will be held on Thursday. Another private school in Camac Street has announced “study leave” for class XI on Monday, on account of their upcoming annual examination, while classes VI to IX will be dispersed at 10:45 am after the scheduled practical assessment. In such circumstances, veteran CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty took a dig at the BJP-led Union government. He asked as to why there is no holiday on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday on January 23 when there can be a partial holiday on January 22 for Ram Temple inauguration. He said that despite making several requests the Central government has not declared a national holiday on January 23 and neither did it agree to name that day ‘Deshprem Diwas’.

The Left leader questioned the Modi government whether it feels Netaji is so irrelevant that his birthday does not deserve a national holiday. In previous years, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had appealed to the

Centre to declare the day as a national holiday.