Eid - a big confusion every year

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 Eid -- a big confusion every year On Eid , I have come to Office and looking foolish for none is around and my colleauges are making call on my mobile every minute to confirm whether it's " declared " holiday or not ? Those who went outstation don't understand that incoming calls outside Delhi are not free and my post-paid Hutch Bill is increasing ! Plus I am unhappy for having paid to bus fare and now going back . What can I do ? Can I share agony with you thru Office pc ? To start with , like every year , 2006 also had big confusion on Eid. Calendars & holiday list declared it for 25 th Oct so Govt employees left for their home etc on Diwali on 20th evening with RETURN-reservation , BHAI-DOOJ , other journey plans for 25th instant. Those who were in Delhi / NCR etc applied for RH ( restricted holiday ) for 24th for Bhai-dooj. But about 11 am in morning y'day on 24th , all offices were abuzz that Eid may be proponed . So everybody was making calls / enquiries on Mobile etc. Everyone glued to TV at 7pm & relieved to know that there is no change in date of 25th . But morning paper came and declared for 24th . By this time some had already left for office like me . Worst is position of Banks / office sunder negotiable act as nobody directs them ! In Delhi offices are closed but Haryana Govt is yet to decide for 24th !! So it's big confusion around. More hilarious is position of couples --one working in Delhi and another in NCR . And most confusing is the position if spouse is to visit sister on bhai-dooj ----so holiday depends on so many factors , namely , if sister / brother in law is in i) Govt or semi-Govt or office under Negotiable act ii) Delhi or Haryana That is , so many permutations , combinations !!!! But how non office-goers (likes of Shahi Imam ) can understand all this ? For them it 's time to get publicity & have FRONT page headline :-- " Shahi Imam has declared ........" So for just fun , this dram is being done. If lunar eclipse can be declared 10 years in advance , cannot EId be decided at least 1 week in advance ? Can't help of advanced scientific / astronomy instruments be taken ? Who is responsible for all this wastage of office hours particularly Banks as public does not know whether they are open or not ? Would somebody reduce this confusion for 2007 onward ?????????? 10:57:33 AM Posted By t reddy Comments (1) Musings Comments K.Venugopal Tuesday, October 24, 2006 8:17:07 PM Dear Reddy, It is Islamic tradition that a local Mullah, or his appointee, ventures into the sea or wherever to catch a glimpse of the moon. If he doesn't, then it is one extra day fasting. Since the Muslims have it all worked out vis-à-vis the geographical jurisdiction of the Mullah and the sighting or non-sighting effect, why should anyone else have a problem? You are reducing a quaint tradition (I see much poetry around the sighting or non-sighting of the moon) to mere conveniences of a holiday. Moreover, having a fixed holiday, like Christmas on December 25th, has its charms, but a holiday about which no one will have a clue till the last moment is also romantic. Com’on Mr. Reddy, see things philosophically.