Legislation introduced to make Diwali a federal holiday in US

A prominent American lawmaker on Friday introduced a bill in the US Congress to declare Diwali the festival of lights a federal holiday a move welcomed by different communities from across the countryDiwali is one of the most important days of the year for billions of people across the globe and for countless families and communities in Queens New York and the United States Congresswoman Graced Meng told reporters during a virtual news conference here soon after introducing the bill in the House of RepresentativesThe Diwali Day Act when passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President would make the festival of lights the 12th federally recognised holiday in the United StatesEstablishing a federal holiday for Diwali and the day off it would provide would allow families and friends to celebrate together and demonstrate that the government values the diverse cultural makeup of the nation the Congresswoman saidDiwali celebrations are a wonderful time here in Queens and each year it is easy to see just how important this day is to so many people Americas strength is derived from the diverse experiences cultures and communities that make up this nation she saidMy Diwali Day Act is one step toward educating all Americans on the importance of this day and celebrating the full face of American diversity I look forward to shepherding this bill through Congress Meng saidWelcoming the move New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said This year we saw our entire state speak with one voice in support of recognising Diwali and the South Asian communityMy extraordinary partner in government Congresswoman Meng is now taking the movement national with her historic legislation to make Diwali a federal holiday Together we are showing that Diwali is an American holiday To the over 4 million Americans who celebrate Diwali your government sees you and hears you she saidApplauding Meng for her continued work to increase the visibility of the AsianAmerican community New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney said naming Diwali a federal holiday not only honours those who observe but highlights a cultural tradition some Americans do not experience regularlyDiwali is a special holiday for so many South Asian and IndoCaribbean communities said New York City Councilman Shekar KrishnanAs the first Indian American ever elected to NYC government I am so proud to support Congresswoman Mengs legislation to establish Deepavali as a federal holiday It is crucial that children like my own are able to officially celebrate our holidays with their families in a way that I was not able to growing up he saidA large number of community members applauded the introduction of the Diwali Day Act in the House of RepresentativesThe recognition of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas is pivotal to enriching the cultural fabric of the United States and fostering greater understanding and appreciation for the rich South Asian diaspora said Sim J Singh Attariwala Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager of The Sikh CoalitionToday is a milestone that demonstrates our visibility our contributions and the progress we are making in the United States with the Diwali Day Act said Richard David Board Member at the IndoCaribbean AllianceCongratulation Congresswoman Meng Coalition of Hindus of North America president Nikunj Trivedi said this joyous festival is celebrated by millions of Americans and symbolizes the victory of good over evil and of light over darkness and brings together people from all backgrounds to cherish goodness wellbeing peace and prosperity things that everyone can value and benefit fromAs Hindu Americans we are so glad to see a bill to honour the multitude of celebrations that take place across the Indian subcontinent the Caribbean and beyond on Diwali said Ria Chakrabarty Policy Director for Hindus for Human RightsIt is high time to recognise Diwali as a holiday in US public schools said Dr Neeta Jain founder and president of the International Ahimsa FoundationOur children should be treated equally As our children celebrate other cultures others should celebrate and learn about our culture as well This is the only way we can teach children to have mutual respect mutual understanding and mutual acceptance she saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever