New Delhi: After outrage from the Christian community, the Manipur government which had declared that March 31, which is Easter Sunday, as a “working day”, has retracted its order on Thursday (March 28).
A notification by the General Administration Department said, “In partial modification of the government order dated March 27, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to declare that only March 30 will be a working day for all government offices including public sector undertakings/ corporations/ autonomous bodies/ societies under the state government…”
The modification came after the previous order caused a stir among the Christian population in the northeastern state, India Today reported.
The order issued by the Manipur government’s general administration department on Wednesday, March 27, said Saturday (March 30) and Sunday (March 31) will be working days for all government offices, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, societies under the state government “for the smooth functioning of offices in the last few days of the financial year (2023-24)”.
According to the 2011 census, Christians constitute 40.1% (2.8 million) of Manipur’s population, and most of them belong to Kuki, Zo, and Naga communities.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella body of tribal groups, said the order is to hurt the sentiments of the Christian community. “There are many Christians in Manipur. Sunday is a day of rest and we have Easter Sunday,” said ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong, according to the Hindustan Times.
Similarly, Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me, an apex body of Naga student groups, also came out with a statement requesting the government to withdraw the order.
The order has once again reopened the old faultlines drawn between Hindu-majority Meiteis and Christain majority Kukis and Nagas. The ethnic violence which broke out on May 3 last year has so far claimed over 200 lives and has displaced over 50,000 people.
This story has been updated with the revised government order declaring March 31, Easter Sunday, a holiday.
