SHILLONG, SEPT 24: The Federation of Khasi Jaiñtia and Garo People (FKJGP) has slammed the Ministry of Finance order asking bank employees to report for duty on Sunday, September 27, 2026, and sought immediate intervention of the RBI and the Meghalaya government.
In a statement, FKJGP general secretary Eldie Newton Lyngdoh said the Centre’s directive has come in the wake of a three-day bank strike called by various bank unions from September 28 to 30.
He said the government has justified the Sunday opening as a measure to ensure uninterrupted banking services.
The FKJGP, however, said the order is insensitive to Meghalaya, which has over 75 percent Christian population.
“The Lord’s Day is not just a weekly holiday but for Christians it is a sacred day set apart by God,” Lyngdoh said. “It is a day when families go to church services to worship God, to pray.”
Accusing the Ministry of trampling on constitutional rights, Lyngdoh asked, “Does the Ministry know that forcing people to work on the Lord’s Day in a Christian-majority state shows lack of understanding of religious rights guaranteed by the Constitution?”
He also alleged that the order was imposed from Delhi without consulting the state government, church groups or employees.
The FKJGP has urged the Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India and the Meghalaya government to find an alternative that respects Sunday observance and has asked BJP legislators in the state to take up the matter seriously.
The organisation warned it would be forced to prevent banks from functioning on that day if the order is not withdrawn.
