Shillong, September 24: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has strongly opposed the Union Finance Ministry’s decision directing banks to remain open on Sunday, September 27, and urged the authorities to reconsider its implementation in Meghalaya.
The government directed public sector banks and regional rural banks to operate on Sunday ahead of the proposed nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30.
FKJGP general secretary Eldie Newton Lyngdoh said the Centre had justified the decision as necessary to ensure uninterrupted banking services for customers during the extended disruption.
The organisation, however, said the order failed to consider Meghalaya’s religious and social circumstances, pointing out that more than 75 per cent of the state’s population is Christian.
“The Lord’s Day is not merely a weekly holiday for Christians. It is a sacred day set apart for worship,” Lyngdoh said.
He said Sunday is traditionally observed as a day when families attend church services and gather for worship and prayer.
The FKJGP questioned whether the Finance Ministry had considered the religious rights guaranteed by the Constitution before directing bank employees to work on a Sunday in a Christian-majority state.
It also expressed displeasure that the order was allegedly issued from Delhi without consultation with the Meghalaya government, church organisations or bank employees in the state.
The organisation urged the Union Finance Ministry, the Reserve Bank of India and the Meghalaya government to immediately review the implementation of the order in the state and formulate an alternative arrangement that respects Sunday religious observance.
The FKJGP also called upon Meghalaya’s BJP legislators to intervene and raise the matter with the central government.
The organisation warned that if the order is not withdrawn, it would take steps to prevent banks from functioning on September 27.
