The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) have opposed the Centre’s directive requiring banks to function normally on Sunday, September 27, ahead of the proposed three-day nationwide bank strike.
In a statement, FKJGP general secretary Eldie Newton Lyngdoh said the Centre’s directive came in the wake of a three-day bank strike called by various bank unions from September 28 to 30.
He said the government had justified the Sunday opening as a measure to ensure uninterrupted banking services. The FKJGP, however, termed the order insensitive to Meghalaya, which has over 75 per cent Christian population.
“The Lord’s Day is not just a weekly holiday; for Christians, it is a sacred day set apart by God,” Lyngdoh said. “It is a day when families go to church services to worship God, to pray,” he added.
Accusing the Centre of trampling on constitutional rights, Lyngdoh questioned whether it was aware that forcing people to work on the Lord’s Day in a Christian-majority state showed a lack of understanding of religious rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
He also alleged that the order was imposed from Delhi without consulting the state government, church groups or bank employees.