Bombay High Court declares Good Friday as compulsory holiday

After much uproar, the Bombay High Court on Monday, allowed a petition filed challenging a notification issued by Collector of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Diu Daman, making 'Good Friday' an optional holiday instead of a compulsory one, for government employees. The Christian community is going to observe Good Friday on April 19.

A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice NM Jamdar directed the authority to declare 'Good Friday', a compulsory holiday as is allowed in other parts of the country. Anthony Francisco Duarte, through his advocate Haresh Jagtiani and Advocate Jayant Bardeskar had appraoched the court stating, "Ever since these territories came under the Indian Union, it has has always been declared as a public holiday considering that many Christians, are residing in far flung areas of these UT."

Bardeskar argued that sentiments of the minority community in general and of the Christians in particular are outraged. The Christian community celebrates only three religious holidays, namely, Good Friday, Christmas and Easter out of which only two of them become effective since Easter always falls on Sunday.

The petition raised an issue of discrimination among communities by saying a total of ten holidays for the Hindu community has been granted out of which two are new additions in previous year's list.