Mayor de Blasio undecided on what to do about Diwali.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio supports having holidays for schools within the city on two Muslim holidays and the Lunar New Year, but stopped short of endorsing a similar move for the Hindu festival of Diwali.
Speaking on Brian Lehrer’s local radio show, on channel WNYC, de Blasio said that he was going to move forward with a plan to recognize Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, as well as Lunar New Year, with a day off from school for all students, regardless of religion.
This isn’t the first time such a measure has been proposed or considered – a similar one was made under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who opposed it outright because he didn’t want students missing more school – but it represents significant progress on that front.
“It is complicated in terms of logistics and school calendar and budget. But it’s something I want to get done in a reasonable time frame,” de Blasio said.
However, de Blasio said he was undecided on what to do with Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that is arguably the religion’s biggest annual festival. It is celebrated by Jains and Sikhs as well, but has had a difficult time gaining recognition in America despite the Obama administration making it an annual tradition at the White House since 2009.
Last year, a significant push was made on Capitol Hill to have the festival commemorated with a postal stamp, similar to what the US Postal Service has done for Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and even Eid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Indian American Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Hindu Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) both voiced their support for the idea, but it stalled.
The holiday was, however, celebrated quite elaborately on Capitol Hill in November, when Congress hosted its first-ever official event for Diwali. Both Bera and Gabbard were present, along with Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) and other prominent Indian Americans community leaders.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com