Christmas row: Forget schools, even colleges and BJP MPs may not get a holiday

Forget Christmas, 25 December is now all set to become Good Governance Day.. The controversy over the decision of the Central government to celebrate 25 December, as Good Governance Day in order to mark former PM AB Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya’s birth anniversaries, refuses to die down.

It appears that the ‘Good Governance Day’ order wasn’t just for schools but also for universities and colleges, including IITs and IIMs . According to an Outlook report, HRD ministry has now “asked universities to mark the initiative after ensuring that the activities do not disturb the Xmas break.” The additional order to not disturb Christmas celebrations and holiday comes only after the recent controversy.

First, it was reported that some CBSE-affliated schools such as Navodya Vidyalayas would be holding activities such as quizzes, declamation contests, etc to mark the day. In addition to this CBSE-schools will have an online essay competition, although participation will be voluntary but the topic will only be announced by 23 December. The reports also indicated that private CBSE schools might be asked to join in and observe the day.

Later the HRD minister slammed the report saying that no school was being forced to remain open on Christmas and that Times of India which had published the original report must issue a retraction. The paper had then defended its report and put the original circular that was sent by Navodya Commissioner which clearly stated that the schools must hold such activities on 25 December and even submit a report on the same.

As the Outlook report shows, an earlier order on 12 December had mandated that universities hold a seminar on good governance to mark the day. The order read, “to organise a seminar on the topic ‘Use of the technology and innovations in promoting good governance’ and a competition on oratory (Bhashan Shailee),” points out the report.

Another report in the Hindu  noted that this order was also written to “the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) asking it to ‘instruct’ all the institutions under its watch to observe Good Governance Day and send a compliance report.”

The circular was also posted on the AICTE website but has been removed since then. Since colleges and technical institutions had to submit a ‘compliance report’ on the same, it’s likely that they would have tried to make the events compulsory in order to ensure attendance.

A seminar and a competition on oratory would have required that students remain in college to participate in the activities and thus effectively meant the cancellation of the Christmas holiday.

Also this would affect winter vacations for many students in DU, a large number of whom are from other cities as DU’s winter break starts from 20 December.

Many colleges in Delhi University have criticised the order. Valson Thampu, Principal of DU’s St Stephen’s college, asked how a seminar will help students and told the magazine, “I hope Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervenes in the matter. I believe this is not his ideology of ‘good governance’. It has to be inculcated at multiple levels,” he is quoted as saying in Outlook.

As far as the AICTE order is concerned it will affect IIT’s, IIMs and other centrally funded technical institutes which includes National Institute of Technology, AIIMS etc.

So far its not clear if college students will be able to dodge the celebrations, although the latest order states that Christmas vacations should not be affected. How  can a college hold a seminar, while its students go on vacation?

Meanwhile, BJP MPs who were looking forward to a break on Christmas will not have it so lucky either. Another  Hindu report points out that 25 December is the day the government plans to “showcase its achievements and intentions… in the 281 constituencies that they represent, BJP MPs will be hard at work, celebrating Good Governance Day…”

While PM Modi will be in Varanasi… the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been asked to activate the 2,70,000 youth clubs around the country that come under the Nehru Yuva Kendra," to celebrate this Good Governance Day."  For the MPs it will be a long day starting at 7, which will include “one more observance of the government’s flagship Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, a half marathon and a slew of other programmes,” adds the Hindu report.

While ministry source insisted that participation was “voluntary,” they justified picking Christmas day and said, “it can’t be helped… as the government wanted to institute Mr. Vajpayee’s birthday as Good Governance Day,” notes the report.

Now while the ministry might claim it can’t be helped and that all of this is voluntary, the decision to hold an essay competition or even call for seminars and other activities on what is the most important holiday and festival for a minority community smacks of insensitivity. One can’t help but wonder if such a day would have been observed on a festival like say Diwali, even if it was clashing with the birthday of a former leader. Its safe to say the answer is a resounding no.