Close on the heels of the controversy over Vishwakarma Puja holiday in Hindi medium schools run by the civic body, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation issued a show-cause notice to its education manager seeking explanation.
The action came following a controversy surrounding the adjustment of Vishwakarma Puja holiday in Hindi medium KMCP schools. A notification with modification in the holiday list of KMCP Hindi medium schools was issued yesterday allowing two-day holiday for Eid-ul-fitr on 31 March and 1 April. The notification also announced that there would be no holiday for Vishwakarma Puja on 17 September for these schools as one day of it was allocated for the two-day Eid holiday.
Taking cognizance of the matter, the KMC cancelled the notification clarifying that it had been issued without the knowledge and permission of the authorities concerned. The civic body’s corrigendum also stated that a revised order would be issued as per the state government holidays list. Along with the cancellation of the notification and clarification, the civic body also issued a show-cause letter to the chief manager of the education wing of KMC.
The matter took a political colour when BJP leader Amit Malviya tweeted the notification on social media slamming the Mamata Banerjee government. Referring to the state as ‘Mamata Banerjee’s Islamic Caliphate of West Bengal’ he also captioned mayor Firhad Hakim as ‘a modern-day Suhrawardy.’ In his remark over the notification, he wrote, “Earlier, the chief minister unilaterally slashed reservations under the OBC sub-quota and arbitrarily included Muslims, denying OBCs their rightful dues. The Calcutta High Court has rightly struck it down, and the matter is now being heard in the Supreme Court. The BJP will ensure justice as per constitutional provisions.
“Now, Firhad Hakim, Mamata Banerjee’s close aide and a modern-day Suhrawardy, has ordered the scrapping of a holiday in Kolkata Municipal Corporation schools for Vishwakarma Puja, an occasion of great significance for Hindus, particularly the dominant OBCs, and instead allocated it for Eid-ul-Fitr, extending the holiday from one day to two.”
According to the member-mayor-in-council for education, Sandipan Saha, the civic body has taken the matter very seriously. “The holiday list of KMCP schools is prepared in accordance with the declared holidays of the state government. The education manager went beyond his roles and responsibilities and did this,” claimed Mr Saha. “The circular came to our knowledge last evening and the municipal commissioner issued a show cause notice to the education manager of education. Whatever disciplinary actions required, would be taken by us,” he added.
Reacting to the Opposition’s claims, the MMIC education said, “The work of the Opposition now is to do politics over religion and they would do that. But here the matter is not that. The KMC is an organisation governed by the Municipal Act 1980. This is a gross misconduct by the chief manager of education. He cannot issue any such circulars without approval. Whatever action is needed would be taken as per the Act.”