Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA), a forum of different social and human rights organisations and eminent social workers, on 15 September filed a public interest litigation (PIL) with the Rajasthan High Court against an order issued by the Directorate of College Education.
The directorate on 2 September issued an order to the principals of all government and public colleges of the state to organise blood donation camps in order to commemorate the birth anniversary of late Pundit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, an ideologue of RSS and prominent BJP leader.
“This move of the state government is totally un-Constitutional and sheer breech of civil rights of the college staff and blood donation teams,” said Sawai Singh, state chief of the FDCA. He was of the opinion that, in the guise of celebrating the birth anniversary of their leader, the BJP government is trying to cancel the gazetted holiday of Eid al-Adha that is eventually falling on 25 September this year. “Ever since the BJP has come to power, it is busy in implementing the communal agenda of the ‘Sangh Parivar’ and spreading hatred among the people,” he said.
He stated that the Forum had sent a letter to the Chief Secretary, asking time to meet him on this issue but in vain. “After no response on part of the Government, we moved the court,” he said. “Eid al-Adha is one of the major festivals of the Muslims that they have every right to celebrate with their families, which must not be taken away from them. Similarly, it is the right of all citizens to enjoy the gazetted holiday,” he added. He believed that such steps are dangerous for communal harmony and secular thread of the country.