Assam Government declares November 16 as Public Holiday on the occasion of Bhai Dooj celebrated by Gorkha community

After Kali Puja and Diwali, the State government declared Bhai Dooj as a public holiday in Assam for the Gorkha community. Earlier, the day was not present in the state government’s list of public holidays. By revisiting the old list, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonwal added Bhai Dooj to the list of public holidays. However, the state government’s announcement met with confused reactions as Bhai Dooj is also a festival celebrated by Bengalis and other communities living in Assam though no mention was made of them whatsoever in the notification.

No health protocols have been imposed on Kali Puja and Diwali unlike the Durga Puja this year which was infamous for it’s cacophony of protocols and SOPs issued by the state administration. Various state governments have already restricted fireworks in their respective states though Assam is yet to issue any statement regarding it. However, normal covid protocols like wearing a face mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing will remain effective during festive days as well.

This is the first time that the Bhai Dooj has been declared as a public holiday in the state. Although the official announcement only mentions the Gorkha community, the list of communities celebrating the festival in the state is long be it the Bhai Phoota of Bengalis or the Bhai Dooj of Hindi community.