Christmas holiday: St Stephen’s principal seeks prime minister’s intervention

Source: Mattters India

New Delhi: Principal of one of India’s top colleges has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to sort out a controversy over a Delhi university circular to observe Christmas as good governance day.

“We are all for good governance, and we believe in it strongly,” said Reverend Valson Thampu, principal of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College.”But should they be telling us how to celebrate good governance?” he was quoted by NDTV as asking in reference to a letter from M Lal, one of about a dozen Deans at the Delhi University.

The letter dated December 15 said the Joint Secretary of federal Human Resources Development Ministry (MHRD) Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has asked all colleges to observe “Good Governance Day” on December 25.

Singh’s December 12 letter offered 15,000 rupees to the winner of the oratory competition; 10,000 rupees to the runner up and 5,000 rupees to third winner. Similarly, three prizes would be give to persons giving news ideas at the seminar, the joint secretary’s letter said.

Lal’s said: “You are requested to organize a seminar on the topic ‘Use of Technology and Innovations in promoting Good Governance and a competition on oratory (Bhaashan Shailee, oratory skills) as per the communication from the Joint Secretary, MHRD.”

Both Singh and Lal have asked for compliance reports on the program in soft and hard copies by December 29.

The dean’s letter was issued on the same day MHRD Minister Smriti Irani denied newspaper reports alleging that the ministry planned to cancel Christmas holiday for educational institutions in the country and make them observe the day to highlight good governance. This was reportedly to mark the birthdays of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha (grand council) president Madan Mohan Malaviya that fall on December 25.

Amid such conflicting reports, Reverend Thampu says he hopes the prime minister to resolve the matter. “I am sure he will intervene as he once told me that even people of differing views can be friends.”

St. Stephen’s College, now under the management of the Church of North India, was set up in 1881, 41 years before the Delhi University came into being. The college founded by the members of the Cambridge Mission to Delhi, an Anglican mission, was one of three original constituent colleges of the University.

To prove it is not intent on turning Christmas into a working day, the government has sent a new letter to colleges in Delhi, asking that events to celebrate ‘Good Governance Day’ be organized before the holiday.

The government has said that December 25, which is the 90th birthday of Vajpayee, will be commemorated across the country with tributes to efficient governance. The opposition has protested vigorously against the move to turn a national holiday into a working day for educational institutions.

Most Delhi University students have started vacation after their exams and would be back on campus in January. There are other logistical problems for colleges. They are all closed for the winter break from December 17 – January 4.

One teacher of a women’s college said, “They can call in the teachers to hold this, but where will they get the students?”

Ashok Sahgal, principal of Shri Ram College of Commerce, said they were emailing 150 of their teachers. “Even if 50 of them can come in, we can organize this event,” he told NDTV.

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