Sir,
Apropos article “Accession Day Holiday Historic correction” in DE (Jan 4)
I endorse the view of K B Jandial in his well written Straight Talk that we should go by the policy of Govt of India of ‘No Gazetted Holiday in the name of leaders with a single exception of birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation. Rightly said that holiday on Accession Day on October 26 is the befitting tribute to illustrious Maharaja Hari Singh. There have to be limited closed holidays to inculcate essential work culture. The other important issue of doing away with controversial ‘Martyr’s Day Holiday’ would be welcomed by all unbiased and impartial people, besides the victims of communal frenzy and their generations who observe the day as as Black Day. On the same analogy January 19,1990 labelled as mass exodus day of Kashmiri Pandit minority from Kashmir Valley cannot be visualised as a Great Day meriting public holiday in foreseeable future. Mr Jandial has done a good job in bringing forth the facts of the fateful event of July 13,1931 and its aftermath.
J K Vaid GSI (Retd)
Former Director GSI
Sidhra