A fight that helped us get off on Sundays? Thank this forgotten hero

For most of us, Sunday is a cherished day of rest, a time to relax, recharge, and spend time with loved ones. However, a few know that this weekly respite wasn’t always a part of Indian life.

It took the relentless efforts of one man, Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, to turn the idea of a weekly holiday into reality for millions of workers.

The Fight That Began In 1883

Lokhande, often called the father of India’s labour movement, began his campaign in 1883. At the time, mill workers in Bombay toiled endlessly without a guaranteed day off. For seven long years, Lokhande petitioned mill owners and colonial authorities for a weekly holiday. His requests were repeatedly turned down.

But Lokhande’s determination did not waver. By 1890, his persistence bore fruit. Mill workers in Bombay were finally granted Sundays as their weekly holiday. This decision gradually extended beyond textile mills, setting a precedent for other industries and offices.

Not Rooted In India’s Traditional Practices

Interestingly, the idea of a fixed weekly rest day was not rooted in India’s traditional practices. As an opinion piece in The New Indian Express points out, Indic faiths like Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism followed a more fluid system tied to the lunar calendar and agricultural cycles. Rest days were aligned with religious observances such as Ekadashi or Uposatha, but no single day like Sunday held universal significance.

The concept of Sunday as a uniform day off came from colonial British rule in the 1840s, aligning with Christian traditions. Yet, for decades, this change primarily benefited British offices and institutions. It wasn’t until industrialisation and the enactment of labour laws like the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891 that weekly offs became formalised for Indian workers.

Today, as millions across India enjoy their Sundays, sipping tea or scrolling on their phones, hardly anyone remembers the man whose fight made it possible. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande’s efforts ensured that rest became a right, not a privilege.

So, the next time Sunday arrives, perhaps it’s worth pausing for a moment to acknowledge a forgotten hero of India’s labour rights movement.