Insta
British Parliament in the course of a debate (Representative Image) (@RepAdamSchiff/Twitter)
The British Parliament will be debating whether public holidays should be declared for Hindu and Muslim festivals, The Hindu has reported. The financial costs of public holidays are at the centre of the debate among parliamentarians.
Over 11,000 people have signed a petition on the British Parliament website to declare Deepavali and Dussehra a public holiday. Close to 45,000 people have demanded through the same means that Id Ul Adha and Id Ul Fitr be declared a public holiday.
These demands have been driven by the changing demographics of the former colonial power which bossed over Hindu and Muslim subjects. According to a 2011 census, the United Kingdom has 8,17,000 Hindus (1.5 per cent of the population) and 4.7 million Muslims (4.8 per cent of the population).
The government had rejected both Hindu and Muslim petitions earlier in the year due to considerable financial costs of such holidays. It had pointed out that the cost of 2012 Diamond Jubilee holiday was 1.2 billion British Pounds. The parliament petitions committee has now brought forward the matter for discussion in the house.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest