Letters to The EDITOR: Durga Puja Holiday

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Durga Puja holiday

A reputed missionary girls’ English-medium school in the heart of Guwahati has decided to reduce the number of Durga Puja holidays. It has been decades since all the schools in Assam declared 10-day Durga Puja holidays, but this year, without any prior notice, St Mary’s School, in the Guwahati Club area, has restricted the holidays to merely 5 days. Most students and their parents are facing a dilemma because many students have parental addresses outside Guwahati. During the Durga Puja, people typically return to their ancestral homes to celebrate, but the school's management's harsh decision has disrupted those parents' plans. The school is reopening the day after Mahadashami. It means either the parents have to return on Mahadashami or Mahanavami. During these two days the frequency of public transport is low, barring railways. We have observed that many unregistered holidays are declared by the school authorities, but this time they are genuinely trying to curtail the Durga Puja celebration of a particular faith of people. Our district administration must look into this matter, as all the schools have declared an earlier pattern of 10-day holidays.

Gaurrav Chowdhury,

Guwahati