Court grants Easter holiday for Christian workers in India
(March 27, 2013) In India, Christians working for the federal government will get
Good Friday and Easter as holidays, the High Court said on Tuesday after a petition
from the All India Christian Council. The government had previously issued a notification
for income tax offices to stay open over the Easter weekend, as March 31 is the deadline
for filing of the tax returns for the past financial year. The offices will remain
open as planned but Christian staff are exempted from reporting for work. The
court decision "allows the Christian community to carry on their religious obligations
as Good Friday is a very important faith day,” said John Dayal, secretary general
of the All India Christian Council. His lawyer said the notification was an infringement
of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, as also of the United Nations
declarations which had been signed by India. He said the order infringed on the rights
of the people to worship freely. The council added that the matter was of a very urgent
nature as Good Friday is in two days. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, who gave an interim
order on the issue, fixed April 2 as the next date for hearing. Source: UCAN