Story behind why there is a holiday on Sunday in the World!!

Story behind why there is a holiday on Sunday in the World!

Sunday, being the day of the Sun, as the name of the first day of the week, is derived from Hellenistic astrology, where the seven planets, known in English as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, each had an hour of the day assigned to them, and the planet which was regent during the first hour of any day of the week gave its name to that day.

The English noun Sunday derived sometime before 1250 from sunedai, which itself developed from Old English (before 700) Sunnandæg (literally meaning "sun's day")

In Genesis 2:2 we read,

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”

Even God needed rest after he had done.

But the followers of the Bible,Considered that their subjects,were omnipotent,did not need a nap!

The Indians were required to work from Dawn to Dusk without any break.Textile mills Bombay/Mumbai became the epicenter of the labour movement. And this is why it was called the city that never sleeps, because the textile mills would run 24x7 and so did the people

Know the Story Of The Man Who Gave Us The Most Cheerful Day Of the Week – Sunday ‘Our Holiday’

Sunday, a most awaited day for all. It’s a gift and a festival for all the people of the world. Sunday is not a holiday for employees, students, businessmen etc. but it is also a relief day for people who stay at home throughout the week. Because it is the day for our family and friends to whom we can’t meet for the whole week. On this day we have to do all the work, from partying with friends to complete all the pending work of home everything is to be done on this very day.

Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (नारायण मेघाजी लोखंडे) - The Father of the Trade Union Movement in India Narayan Meghaji Lokhande was born in a poor family from Phulamli Caste in 1848 in Thane, Maharashtra, India. In the 17th and 18th centuries, India was famous for its fine Textiles in western countries. By Buying Cloth in India and Selling it in Europe the East India Company made a Huge Profit. The First Textile mill was established in Bombay, Maharashtra in 1854. He worked for some time as a store keeper in a Bombay Textile mill, He collected the problems and issues of the working conditions in the factories and The problems faced by the labors. He Edited the first labor weekly "Deenbandhu"(friend of the oppressed). From 1880 to the end of his life in 1897 he took over the management of Deenbandhu which was published from Bombay. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande was a prominent colleague of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was an Indian activist, thinker, social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. Along with Lokhande, Jyotirao also addressed the meetings of the textile workers in Bombay. It is significant that before Jotirao and his colleagues Bhalekar and Lokhande tried to organize the peasants and the workers, no such attempt was made by any organisation to redress their grievances. Mahatma Phule started the first Indian Workers organization – 'Bombay Mill Hands Association', with the help of Shri. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande.  Narayan Meghaji Lokhande is remembered not only for ameliorating the working conditions of textile mill-hands in the 19th century but also for his courageous initiatives on caste and communal issues.

Before going further we must tell you that holiday on Sunday was not announced in a day, in fact, it took 8 long years of legal fight to announce Sunday as a holiday.

This tale is long years back when the Britishers used to govern on us. That time labor force was much higher in cloth factory of the country. But there was no one who can take stand for these Indian workers.Then, Narayan Meghaji Lokhande took stand for these workers and raises his voice against all deeds which British government was putting on them.

He was the first person who ever raised his voice for workers and he is also considered as the father of labor movement and also father of trade union in India.

In this fight, Lokhande also got the support of Jyotiba Phule and then this fight started with full support of workers and Phule.

In the year 1881, Lokhande filed application for holiday on Sunday for the workers of cloth factory, but British government rejected his application.Lokhande believed that there must be a holiday in a week for all the workers because they continuously work all seven days.To get holiday on Sunday approved was not easy for Lokhande and so he started a movement to get it done.His movement was started in the year 1881 and end in 1889. Not only this Lokhande also rose some terms and conditions favouring work schedule of workers in front of British Government.In this terms and conditions, he said that there must be half an hour break in whole working day. Workers should get payment of their work in every 15 days and working hours should be decreased.Lokhande also believed that whole week a worker do thing for the benefit company, so on Sunday he can do work for the benefit of his family and country.So now, you know that Lokhande was the person who gifted you Sunday. He was such a great man, Salute him for his courage and fight for us.

He was awarded the title of Rao Bahudur by the British Raj.
The Government of India issued a post stamp with his photo in 2005






   Searched,Compiled and Illustrated by Tejinder Kamboj