Schools across Uttar Pradesh will not observe a holiday on December 25 this year, the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government announced on Sunday, December 22.
The government has designated December 25 as a day to commemorate the birth anniversary of BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, marking the conclusion of his birth centenary year. Schools have been instructed to organise special programmes in his honour instead of observing Christmas as a holiday, with student attendance made mandatory.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, Bajrang Dal leaders submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate demanding that schools celebrate December 25 as “Bal Gaurav (child pride) and Good Governance Day” instead of Christmas. The memorandum, led by former Bajrang Dal provincial coordinator Vikas Tyagi and former chief Kapil Mauhada, called for action against schools that observe Christmas and urged the education department to issue directives preventing Christmas celebrations.
The delegation demanded that students be taught about “Indian values” and that schools organise poetry recitations featuring Vajpayee’s poems, speeches and essay competitions instead of Christmas activities. They argued that December 25 should honour the birth anniversaries of educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya and Vajpayee rather than mark the birth of Jesus Christ.
Dr John Dayal, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council and member of the National Integration Council, responded to the decision: “The Uttar Pradesh Government, run by a deeply religious person, is keeping all schools in the state open on Christmas, celebrated globally for the birth of Jesus Christ. December 25 will be dedicated to commemorating the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, marking the conclusion of his birth centenary year. Instead of a holiday, schools have been instructed to observe the day through special commemorative programmes. This deliberate targeting of the most sacred day in the Christian calendar is part of a sustained campaign of marginalisation that has intensified under the present regime.”
Dayal, who has documented Christian persecution for over four decades, added: “It is dismaying but not surprising that the Prime Minister does not speak either in public or in his party against hatred. Every Christian faces the same threat. The hate campaign has been so severe that if you step out of the house, in your locality, in your area, wherever you live, some lunatic influenced by this hate campaign can come and do you damage. That is what targeted hate does. This does not mean that I will remain silent for fear of my life.”
Good Governance Day was established in 2014 by the newly elected Narendra Modi administration, which declared that Vajpayee’s birth anniversary would be commemorated annually on December 25. The government decreed Good Governance Day to be a working day, removing the Christmas holiday for government employees. Christians in India had launched petitions against the move, arguing it would force them to attend government functions on their most important religious festival.
Uttar Pradesh recorded 209 anti-Christian incidents in 2024, the highest in any Indian state, according to the United Christian Forum. Since the enactment of the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021, 420 Christians including pastors and a Catholic priest have been arrested and jailed. Church leaders allege the law is being exploited to harass Christians with false charges. No convictions have been secured under the law.
The central government’s practice of observing December 25 as Good Governance Day has encountered resistance in states like Kerala with significant Christian populations. This week, Christmas celebrations at a postal department office in Kerala were cancelled following a controversy over including RSS songs in the programme.
Kerala has declared school holidays from December 24 to January 5. Rajasthan’s Christmas holidays run from December 25 to January 5. Punjab has announced holidays from December 22 to January 10. Delhi, Haryana, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will observe Christmas Day as a holiday.
Uttar Pradesh traditionally granted Christmas holidays in previous years. Christians constitute approximately 0.18 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s population of over 200 million.
