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For some May Day is just another holiday, while for others it is just another day, discovers NEETI SARKAR
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Cosmic rationale With 24/7 workdays, there is no time to commemorate Labour Day
The practice of celebrating May 1, the first day of summer, has been around even in Pre-Christian times in Europe. May 1 is also observed as International Worker’s Day or Labour Day celebrating the eight-hour work day. Ironically, now, thanks to the IT revolution and working 24/7, May Day quietly slips by.
“It arrives and passes by without us even realizing,” complains Tusshar Rey, a corporate employee when asked about his idea of May Day. While most employers are in favour of granting a holiday on this day to their employees, the trend has now changed in many places around the country. Owing to the increased number of BPOs and IT companies, May Day is nothing more than a restricted holiday which employees of such firms are most often, not granted.
According to Minna G.T, a BPO worker, “I barely remember the last time I sat at home and did nothing on May 1. We’re so caught up in our work that now we have even stopped complaining about not being given a day off.”
The younger employees, in such organizations seem to be dissatisfied. Suggestion slips have been sent to the superiors and requests have been made to the managers. The only answer we get is ‘we strictly follow the company’s calendar,’” whines call centre executive Sumish Pai.
While on the one hand there are people who are fighting for what they claim is their right, there is another group of people who cannot care less about May Day. School teacher Chaya Raja says, “Summer vacations start in April. Everyday for the next two months is a holiday for us so we have even forgotten the significance of May 1.” Similarly, students say it hardly makes a difference to them since they are anyway already on holiday.
Those like engineer Rudra Singh B., who still enjoys the privilege of May Day confesses, “More than commemorating it or remembering it as the ‘fight for the eight-hour day,’ I look forward to May Day just as excitedly as I would wait for the weekend. I, personally feel the significance of May Day has been lost.”
His wife Anjali, comments: “Earlier when we lived in Mumbai, we only thought of May 1 as an important day and as a public holiday because it was on this day that Maharashtra attained its Statehood. The holiday had very little to do with Labour Day.”
“Celebrations across the world vary. While May Day is some places is ushered in with dancing, revelry and great festivity, this is not quite the case in our country,” observes Abhinay Kalra, a lecturer. A day off in celebration would do nicely!
Red letter day
May Day was celebrated in pre-Christian pagan cultures in Europe
International Worker’s Day or Labour Day is celebrated on May 1 to commemorate the eight-hour work day
The State Formation Day of Maharashtra falls on May 1
Mayday stands for the international distress call
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