May Day Is For Labourers, Not Officials In Government, Says Tripura CM

Tripura recently dropped May Day from its annual list of holidays and Chief Minister Biplab Deb has come up with a justification for the same. He said that May Day is for workers, labourers and not employees. He added that actual justice is being done by ensuring that the occasion is observed for just industrial workers.

The New Indian Express quoted him as saying, “What are the provisions for a holiday? They (previous Left govt) used to grant holiday to the entire state on this day here.”

The decision was announced during a conference organised for Tripura’s Gazetted Officers’ Sangh in Agartala. A notification issued on 3 November announced that none of the government employees are authorised to take more than four designated restricted holidays in 2019.

He asked employees whether they were workers or labourers in the secretariat. The New Indian Express quoted him asking, “You (gazetted officers) are not labourers. No. Am I labourer? No. I am Chief Minister. So what for do you need a holiday (on May Day)? What will you mourn for?”

He said the government has made the right decision in preserving the importance of the occasion by granting holidays to only those who need it and not government employees.