BUZZ
‘Akin to discrimination’ and an example of ‘institutional racism’
The Indian (from India) community in Howard County, Maryland is perturbed that their religious holiday known as Holi is not a mandatory day off in the local school district.
Holi typically takes place in March and is known as the “festival of colors.” It also signifies “the end of winter and honors the triumph of good over evil.”
In Maryland, the only religious-themed holidays for which public school students have off statewide are Good Friday, Easter, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Legislators and “advocates” have tried to get additional holidays codified into school calendars “for the past few years,” but without success. These include Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of Diwali, Eid al-Adha, and Eid al-Fitr — holidays for which the Howard County Public School System already grants days off.
The Howard County delegation to the state General Assembly had taken issue with the legislation’s constitutionality, according to The Sun report. HCPSS School Board members Linfeng Chen and Jolene Mosley had supported adding Holi to the district calendar, but were outvoted.
HCPSS General Counsel J. Stephen Cowles noted there has to be a secular reason for creating a day off in the district: “The concern with the motion is that the school system is prohibited from closing for the pure purpose of celebrating a holiday of a religion.”
Chen called this a “double standard” and a “mistake.”
The Indian Cultural Association considers the district’s omission of Holi as “akin to discrimination” and an example of “institutional racism.”
Association President Sanjay Srivastava (pictured) accused politicians and other officials of the latter by using “legal and logistical concerns […] to argue against mandating closures” for Holi.
“Education is extremely important for our kids and our families,” Srivastava said. “So our kids are really, truly torn: Should they adhere to academic requirements, not missing things in a very competitive place, or, you know, not value their culture?”
Srivastava said the number of students who celebrate Holi in the district (which includes Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs) is approximately 15 percent, larger than that of other groups for which holidays are granted.
According to Niche.com, Howard County is Maryland’s number one-ranked public school district, with 30 percent of students classified as white, 25 percent black, and 24 percent Asian. Fifty-eight percent are proficient in reading and 42 percent in mathematics.
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