‘Islamisation of Bihar’: BJP stokes row over Bihar government’s decision on school holidays

Row erupts in Bihar over school holiday calendar for 2024, with government slashing Hindu festivals and increasing Muslim festivals. BJP leaders protest, alleging Nitish Kumar's 'anti-Hindu' mindset and 'appeasement' of a particular community. Govt defends move, citing improved education standards. Earlier this year, similar controversy over holidays list led to its withdrawal.

A political row erupted after the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government decided to slash the holidays for the State’s schools on the occasion of Hindu festivals while increasing them for Muslim festivals in the recently issued holiday calendar for the year 2024.

The Bihar education department had on Monday issued the holiday calendar for 2024 with fewer leaves, and said the chart has been created to ensure at least 220 teaching days under the Right to Education.

The State government announced that it will be removing the holidays for Janmashtami, Rakshabandhan, Ramnavami, Shivratri, Teej, Vasant Panchami and Jivitputrika holidays while giving three days holidays each for Eid and Bakrid, and two for Muharram. However, the number of summer vacation days have been increased from 20 to 30.

The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders protested the move, and said that such policy decisions reflect Nitish Kumar’s mindset of “appeasement” towards a particular community.

“Bihar’s Kursi [chair] Kumar is the leader of appeasement. Once again, the anti-Hindu face of the chacha-bhateeja [uncle-nephew, a reference to Mr. Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav] government has come to the fore. On the one hand, the number of Muslim festivals holidays are being increased in schools while on the other hand Hindu festival holidays are being slashed,” senior state BJP leader and Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in a video message posted on social media platform X (formerly twitter).

Similarly, his cabinet colleague in Union cabinet and party leader Giriraj Singh alleged that CM Kumar “hates” Hindus, and was “trying to do Islamisation of Bihar”. “The Nitish government has gone crazy. You’re dividing Hindus on the basis of caste, and now this [on the basis of religion]. People won’t forgive you. Teachers and students should protest. Nitish Kumar government is trying to do Islamisation of the State,” Mr. Singh said on social media platform X.

The party’s Rajya Sabha member and senior State leader Sushil Kumar Modi also alleged that the Nitish Kumar-led government has shown its “anti-Hindu” face. “This move of the government has hurt the sentiments of Hindus,” Mr. Modi said.