Extra work Day
It refers to Goa government stating that it was simply a clerical error that Gandhi Jayanti was somehow missed as a holiday for commercial and industrial establishments in the state. But bigger question is if people really need birthdays of great leaders being made as even government-holidays. Retaining Gandhi Jayanti in list of compulsory holidays is against ideals of Father of the Nation who always desired countrymen for hard work. Instead 2nd October should be converted into extra work-day by extending working in offices by say half an hour on this day. It is practically a politicians' holiday when leaders go to Rajghat (Delhi) in the morning as ritual for offering flowers on Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, which can also be done by having Gandhi Jayanti an Extra-Work-Day.

Likewise 'close-days' on 14 April for Dr BR Ambedkar's birthday can also be turned into Extra-Work-Day. Concept of 'extra-work-day' then can be extended to ideally celebrate birthdays of other great persons also apart from those of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
Delhi

Frontier
Vol. 47, No. 37, Mar 22 - 28, 2015