7 months ago
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The fig of nationalist holidays successful West Bengal for 2026 adds up to astir 2 months, thing that’s bringing smiles for those who volition get predominant (and long) breaks from enactment and frowns chiefly for those who tally businesses.
According to a notification issued by the State Government connected Thursday (November 28, 2025) evening, nationalist holidays for the coming twelvemonth full 51 — up from 47 successful 2025. The time of Mahalaya has been declared a nationalist holiday, and an other Durga Puja vacation — a Saturday aft the festival has agelong ended — has besides been added to the list.
“During the Left regime, determination utilized to beryllium predominant bandhs successful Bengal, and Mamata Banerjee utilized to reason them. She opposes them adjacent now, but successful effect determination are galore much closure days successful today’s Bengal than during the Left regime. The State’s enactment civilization was ne'er up to the nationalist standard, but present each twelvemonth radical successful the authorities assemblage person much valid reasons not to work. The autumn of 2026 volition efficaciously spot Bengal wholly unopen close from Mahalaya to Chhath Puja,” said Shailendra Singh, manager of Prakash Bulb Industries, 1 of the oldest airy manufacturers successful Bengal.
Arabinda Dasgupta, managing manager of Dasgupta and Co., the oldest existing bookshop successful Kolkata that dates backmost to 1886, reiterated his caller societal media station erstwhile asked what helium thought astir the ample fig of nationalist holidays successful the State.
“The expanding fig of holidays has started becoming a hindrance to businesses each over. While the privileged people enjoys its vacation siesta, the unorganised assemblage suffers greatly. Earlier, Durga puja utilized to beryllium for 4 days, that’s it. Now, it has stretched to astir fractional a month. From Durga Puja to Christmas, from Saraswati Puja to Eid, we person truthful galore holidays present that fractional the clip radical bash not adjacent cognize what the vacation is for,” Mr. Dasgupta said.
“It is comical however astir of the greeting we get calls connected our store helpline fig with radical asking if we are unfastened oregon closed. At this rate, we volition soon beryllium printing calendars that volition person reddish dates (holidays) with achromatic dates (working days) scattered successful between,” helium joked.
Ishita Mukhopadhyay, a elder prof of economics astatine the University of Calcutta, is besides not impressed by the increasing fig of nationalist holidays successful the State. “There is already unemployment. Schools and colleges are often closed. They volition beryllium closed much often adjacent year. This volition evidently harm the acquisition of children and youth, which is already jeopardised. Declaring a vacation the time earlier oregon aft festivals is meaningless, it lone disturbs schoolroom subject and enactment culture,” Prof. Mukhopadhyay said.
The Trinamool Congress authorities has, implicit the years, added an other time of vacation for respective festivals. Usually, the vacation is fixed the time after. But year, the time earlier immoderate of the festivals person besides been declared arsenic holidays. For example, for the 2026 Saraswati Puja, which falls connected a Friday, the other vacation has been fixed this clip connected the time before; arsenic a result, beneficiaries volition get a agelong interruption that week, close from Thursday to Sunday.
A State Government worker who did not privation to beryllium named supported the thought of truthful galore holidays. “Bengal has a beardown contented of honouring humanities figures and reformers. Their birthdays are usually authorities holidays — portion of Bengal’s taste pride. Sometimes, holidays are politically delicate — skipping 1 mightiness upset a assemblage oregon group. To support inclusivity, Bengal often adds holidays for aggregate communities and regions,” the serviceman said.
“Also, the occupation isn’t ever the fig of holidays but their concentration. Bengal mightiness spot a ample fig of holidays successful October — Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Deepavali, followed by astir nary successful November. This creates short-term administrative standstills alternatively than a year-round slowdown,” the serviceman added.
