Delhi HC directs govt to grant leave to Christian staff on Good Friday, Easter

 

Mangalore, 28 Mar 2013 (TOI): In a significant move, the Delhi high court has directed the Union government to grant leave to the Christian employees of the ministry of finance on Good Friday and Easter - two of the most important days in the faith calendar marking the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

The order came on a Public Interest Litigation petition filed by AICC secretary general Dr John Dayal, challenging the notification of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, said Catholic-Christian Secular Forum (CSF) general secretary, Joseph Dias.

 

The department of revenue of the Union finance ministry had ordered its staff to work on the two days to meet the rush of people depositing their tax dues before March 31, the last day of the financial year. The CSF had drawn the attention of the community, as a result of which hundreds petitioned the authorities.

 

Advocates Robin Ratnakar David, Pramod Singh, Tehmina Ram Arora, Febin Mathew Verghese, Vivek Oriel, and Esha Shekhar appeared for the petitioner. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, who gave an interim order, fixed April 2 for further hearings.

 

The counsel said the notification was an infringement of the fundamental rights of the minority community enshrined in the Constitution, as also in United Nations declarations which had been signed by India. It prevented the rights of the people to go to church for a congregational worship.

 

As the high court is on a brief vacation, Justice Nandrajog heard the matter in his chambers. He noted that the Christian community was a mere 2.3 per cent of the population. There should, he said, be a balance of matters of faith and the government’s desire to maximize its revenue before the end of the financial year.