Patna. A decision of the Education Department has heated up the politics of Bihar in the cold season. Big questions are being raised on the intentions of the government regarding the decision and it is being asked what is the meaning of this decision, when such a decision has not been taken anywhere in the country.
The BJP has expressed strong discontent over a recent decision and is urging Nitish Kumar to take further steps, even suggesting the declaration of Bihar as an Islamic state. The controversy revolves around the Bihar government’s announcement of Jumma day, Friday, as a weekly holiday in Urdu schools.
This policy is specifically targeted at areas with a significant Muslim population, where Friday will now serve as the government-mandated weekly day off. If implemented, Bihar would become the first state in India to designate Friday as an official government holiday for Muslims in certain regions.
In this decision, it has been clearly instructed that this order is not only for Urdu schools or Maktabs, but any government school located in a Muslim dominated area will now have a holiday on Friday instead of Sunday. A notification has also been issued by the Education Department regarding this, but it has also been made clear that for this, permission of the DM of that district will have to be taken. That means, if DM gives consent then Friday can be declared a holiday in any school instead of Sunday.
Not only this, the Education Department has also brought out the list of holidays in government schools for 2024, in which the Education Department has increased the holidays for Eid and Bakrid in 2024. Earlier there was a holiday of two days on Eid and Bakrid. In 2024, schools will remain closed for three days each on both the festivals.
Apart from this, there will be two days holiday on Muharram, one day each on Shab-e-Barat, Chehallum and birth anniversary of Hazrat Mohammad Sahib. The government has abolished holidays on many festivals like Janmashtami, Ramnavami, Mahashivratri, Rakhi, Teej, Jeetiya.
