Puttur, 1 September 2026: Former Christian Union president Maurice Mascarenhas has urged the Karnataka Government to declare September 8, the day of Monti Fest, a regional public holiday in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Speaking at a press conference, Mascarenhas said around eight lakh Catholic Christians in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts celebrate Monti Fest, an important festival of the Christian community.
He said Monti Fest promotes communal harmony and is celebrated alongside festivals such as Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Nagar Panchami. In view of its significance to the coastal region, declaring a public holiday for the festival in the two districts would be justified, he said.
Mascarenhas pointed out that Christmas and Good Friday are the only major Christian festivals currently included among government holidays across the calendar year. He urged the government to recognise Monti Fest as a regional festival and declare a holiday.
He recalled that when a request for a holiday was made during Siddaramaiah's earlier tenure as Chief Minister, Monti Fest was included in the list of restricted holidays. Several Christian organisations have now sought that this be changed, and the holiday be extended to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts.
Christian leaders in Bengaluru, including Scany Pinto and former Catholic Sabha president Alton Pani, have also sought a regional holiday for the festival, he said.
Mascarenhas urged Christian leaders from the region, including former MLA J.R. Lobo, Legislative Council member Ivan D'Souza and Minister K.J. George, to take up the demand with the government.
He also appealed to Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister U.T. Khader to urge the government to declare September 8 a regional holiday applicable to the four districts.
Demand for Chief Whip Post for Ivan D'Souza
Mascarenhas also demanded that Legislative Council member Ivan D'Souza be appointed as the Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, stating that the post is currently vacant.
He said D'Souza is the only Christian representative in the Legislative Council and is an experienced leader. His appointment would enable the government and the Congress party to benefit from his experience while also providing representation to the Christian community, he said.
He further said the Konkani-speaking Christian minority community of the coastal region deserves adequate representation in government and party positions. Christian Union president Joachim Louis, honorary adviser Valerian Dias, treasurer Walter D'Souza, secretary Walter Sequeira, adviser Melvin Fernandes and John Kenyut Mascarenhas were present at the press conference.
Keywords
Monti Fest, Christian Union, Regional Holiday, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Ivan D'Souza, Puttur News Today, Puttur Suddi, Citizen News Puttur