The Eid Holidays

Published in Dawn on 7th April 1998

IT is beyond the power of any mortal to explain why the government takes very bad decisions, like announcing the Eid holidays on April 7, 8 and 9. The logic behind declaring the day before Eid is that Haj is supposed to be performed that day. But this was before men knew that the moon appears in the Saudi skies at least a day before it does in Pakistan. The Haj will actually be on April 6 and if anyone doubts it, he or she should telephone some relative in Saudi Arabia, and if further confirmation is needed, it can be provided by the live telecast on PTV.

Consider now the ordeal that we shall be subjected to. After a day of rest on Sunday April 5, no Pakistani would like to go to work the next day, since the Eid holidays will begin on April 7. Those who actually report to work will be in a stupor, firstly because it's a Monday (the most difficult day of the week) and secondly because they'll be worried that they'll miss the buses leaving for the interior, or that someone else will buy the goats or cows their wives have set their hearts upon. 

As if this weren't enough torture, the faithful will have to report to work again on the third day of Eid, a day on which most of the animals are slaughtered (the prices having gone down considerably by then). Those who are not way enough to turn up will spend most of the day embracing every one around. And it'll be a Friday, a day on which no activity takes place owing to the weekly afternoon prayers. That leaves us with Saturday April, 11 which is a day off anyway for those who work in the corporate sector. 

How much better it would have been if the holidays had begun on April 8 and ended on Sunday, April 12. This could easily have been done by declaring May 1 a working day. Why not? If the heavy mandate can allow the government to change the weekly holiday, it could have done this as well. 

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi.