HOLIDAY

Holidays vs Holidays

Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar

While in the US, I fancied being rich in India, claiming that it would be the best of both worlds. Now that I am in India, I have backed off just a little bit. For one, money cannot buy public goods like good behavior on the road, clean air, or orderly queues at ATMs. But I remember why I opined that way in the first place. It was the number of public and religious holidays on the Government list (jus' kidding!).

On a cursory first glance, the list of public holidays might seem month-long. It almost is! National holidays commemorating Independence Day, Republic Day and the Father of the Nation? Yes. Holidays for all major festivals of all religions? Of course, India is a secular country. A holiday for the regional new year or harvest festival? Yes, indeed. Regional sentiment must be respected. Holidays for strikes and bandhs? Well, you don't want to lose an arm, do you? What about snowstorms and cyclone closures? Hmm, parents must stay back for children whose schools are closed, shouldn't they? Victory and Sympathy holidays? What the heck! Why not? Informal mornings and afternoons off for family functions? Only if your boss turns a blind eye (It helps to invite him for dinner once in a while!). Why do I suspect that Government employees can count on at least three weeks of 'holidays' off work over? (I wonder if these holidays can be combined with official tours and LTC?)

My point is not to bemoan that I do not enjoy the holidays that PSU officials enjoy – much as I grudge them that. Rather, it is about their inflexibility. Indian is a multi-cultural, multi-religious state. Different regions of the country are populated by people of different religions, sub-sects, and experience different climates. Imposing the same set of holidays across the length and breadth of the country does little justice to the underlying socio-cultural differences. Given that most schools close around April for summer holidays, this rigidity implies that large number of people make a beeline for vacation or travel on government-designated holidays, especially so in the summer. So what you may ask. Well, ask the Railways. Trains are booked months ahead forcing them to run unscheduled summer specials. Ask hotels. They are booked tight around government-declared holidays. Add to this the fact that marriages are scheduled on or around these holidays and what you have is a mad rush for reservations. Unfortunately, the response to this phenomenon is capacity increases which leads to sub-optimal utilization during lean periods given that the many public services do not price discriminate between lean and holiday rush seasons.

Why not, I ask (and as I have suggested to the Government) dispense with the holiday list, except for the three national holidays? In its place, permit employees to avail 10 holidays on days of their choice (in addition to 'earned leave', EL) over the year with certain exclusions and permissions. Employees of different religions in different regions of the country will then have the freedom to combine these flexible holidays with EL and arrange their personal travel or vacation in a manner convenient to their family, their religious beliefs or their engagements. Religious sensitivities will not be violated. Employees will be a lot happier. There will be no mad rush for reservations on Government-approved holidays. Public infrastructure capacity will be more evenly utilized and Government services will be open to public more days of the year.

Worth a try?