Diwali, the festival that imbibes in us faith to fight valiantly against our battles and evils, has finally moved one more step ahead. It can not be denied that Indian culture stems from the very spirit of celebrations of oneself and the beauty of truth as it spreads its roots across the world. The tiny fibres that grip the other countries, enveloping them in a warm embrace sprout from brotherhood and acceptance.
In an elegant show of thoughtful gestures towards the Indian community in New York, Mayor Eric Adams and New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar came forth to declare Diwali as a public holiday from 2023 for citizens of NYC. "The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights", said Indian-origin Jenifer Rajkumar, who introduced the legislation.
The festival is primarily celebrated in South Asia and the Caribbean but the move is not a spontaneous or impulsive one. There have always been an unfathomable number of requests to make Deepavali a public holiday. New York State Law's guidance of a minimum of 180 days requirement school days was a major obstacle. Thus, the “obscure and antiquated” anniversary day holiday introduced in the 1800s and observed by none in this era, was scrapped in an effort to make the calendar more updated and relevant to cultures currently engraved in the hearts of its citizens. When people said there was not enough space for another holiday, Rajkumar’s legislation took the challenge head-on and “made room” for it.
"The inclusiveness of this city is extremely significant, and this is our opportunity to say that in a loud way”, stated Adams. This move shall encourage students to learn more about the deep-rooted festival and invoke the desire and opportunity to find the light within themselves. With the festival spread across a multiplicity of ethnicities and countries, the move remains inclusive of honouring and uplifting the faith of many communities in the global sphere as an unambiguous statement.
It may be known in India as the return of Lord Ram, Sita Maa and Laxman ji as they stepped foot back in Ayodhya after 14 years of exile- celebrated pompously with diyas, firecrackers, new clothes and pooja but the history of the celebration remains dynamic with other countries. By the Nepalese- “Tihar”, by Malaysians “Hari Diwali”, by Thailandians- “Lam Kriyongh” and by the followers of Sikhism as the release of Guru Hargobind ji from Jahangir’s captivity in the Mughal empire.
Adams states that much of what he learnt about Diwali occurred in his conversations through the campaign trial. He expressed- “As we deal with so much darkness that is around us, we fail to realise the overwhelming amount of light that is around us. And when we take this period to acknowledge Diwali, we are acknowledging the light that is within us, the light that clearly can push away darkness and that is why this is so significant.”
Dancers for Diwali in NY in 2017 (NBC News)
It is a recognition of diversity and pluralism in NYC while allowing people from all walks of life to bask in the warmth of Indian heritage. Our fellows in New York shall celebrate Diwali today to their heart’s content as we match their sentiments in India, celebrating the Indian values of harmony and tolerance and the human ability to overcome what lies in their paths as was embodied by Shri Ram.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India in NY expressed his gratitude for this thoughtful gesture. Even the famed Bollywood Diva Priyanka Chopra expressed overwhelming joy at this initiative as she took to Instagram- "After all these years! My teenage self living in Queens is crying tears of joy. #representationmatters."
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