By The Wire Staff
New Delhi: Government offices are meant to serve the public, not act as platforms for any ideological group. Yet, this year, the official Christmas celebration saw a controversial move in Kerala: a request for singing “RSS Ganageetham”, an anthem sung by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers.
The request came from the RSS offshoot and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh affiliate Bharatiya Postal Administrative Offices Employees Union (BPAOEU). The celebrations were meant to be organised on Wednesday (December 18) in post offices across Kerala but they were ultimately cancelled, reportedly because employees did not want to sing the song the union demanded.
The demand for the song, followed by the cancellation of celebrations, has sparked concern as well as anger.
In a letter addressed to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Member of Parliament John Brittas said Christmas in India is not observed “merely as a cultural occasion but as an expression of faith, inclusiveness and goodwill”.
The letter, sent on December 17 – a day before the celebration was to be held in Kerala, Brittas’ home state – seeks the minister’s intervention “not to acceede to the request reportedly made by the Bharatiya Postal Administrative Offices Employees Union to render RSS Ganageetham during the official Christmas function in Kerala Circle…”
The letter was sent to the secretary, Department of Posts and the Chief Postmaster General, Kerala Circle as well.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.