Opposition lambastes Tripura Government following "May Day" controversy

Agartala: Controversy seems to have intertwined in a very close bond with the Biplab Kumar Deb-led Tripura Government. After a series of controversial statements by the Chief Minister, the BJP-IPFT Government at the state made news today again after it decided to scrape off International Labour Day or May Day from the State's Holiday List.

Needless to say, this abrupt move by the government has invited a lot of castigations from the opposition which has dubbed the Tripura government as "anti-labour class".

It has been known that SK Debbabrma, the Under-Secretary had issued a notification on Saturday which stated that May Day from now on will be included in the "Restricted Holidays" category along with 11 other festivals.

Former Labour Minister Manik Dey in a conversation with the media stated that such a move very clearly reflects the Tripura government's sentiments towards the working class of the society.

"This is a totally anti-working class decision. This has made the BJP government’s stand clear on how they treat workers and labourers. International Labour Day is observed around the world to mark the liberation of the working class. I haven’t heard of any other state in India which has dropped May Day from the list of holidays,” Dey was quoted as saying.

Responding to the government's move, Tripura CPI(M)office secretary Haripada Dey issued a statement urging the state government to reinstate May Day into the List of Holidays. Dey further stated that this move would be an adverse decision against the interests of the working class as the day (May Day) symbolises a commemoration of the struggles of the working class.

May Day was first included in the state list of holidays by the first Left Front government of Tripura led by Late Nripen Chakraborty in 1978.

The Congress too has lambasted this move by the Tripura government. The state party president Tapas Dey stated that this move is a clear expression of the government's motto, which is to adhere to the corporate class and very much opposed to the working class.

He also said that politicization of the occasion is unfortunate as May Day does not belong to any one political party but is celebrated as International Labour Day.