A Manipur government order declaring the coming Easter Sunday on March 31 as a working day for all public offices in the conflict-ridden State ignited public outrage on March 28, after which the State government was forced to modify the order and clarify that both Good Friday and Easter Sunday would remain holidays.
On Wednesday, the Manipur government issued orders in the name of the Governor, declaring that March 30 (Saturday) and March 31 (Easter Sunday) would be working days for all government offices in the State. According to the 2011 Census, 41.2% of Manipur’s population is Christian.
The move drew sharp reactions from the Scheduled Tribe community in the State, especially from the Kuki-Zo community, which has borne the brunt of the fatalities in the ongoing ethnic conflict. Many called it another attempt to target them by a “Meitei-majority” government. Further, Christian rights groups such as the United Christian Forum (UCF) also called for the order to be withdrawn, calling it unconstitutional.
