Diwali, the major Hindu celebration known as the festival of lights, has been declared a public school holiday in New York City. NYC Mayor Eric Adams, a member of the Democratic Party, announced the news on Monday on Twitter.Im so proud to have stood with Assemblymember @JeniferRajkumar and community leaders in the fight to make #Diwali a school holiday.I know its a little early in the year, but: Shubh Diwali! pic.twitter.com/WD2dvTrpX3— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 26, 2023Mayor Adams was joined by New York Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar – an Indian-American – and other members of the Indian diaspora in celebrating the news inside the Assembly. In the post, the Mayor wished all those people who celebrate Diwali with two words: Shubh Diwali.Diwali now joins festivals such as the Chinese Lunar New Year, Eid, and Rosh Hashana as new public holidays in the largest public school system in the US.This change comes as the number of Indian Americans in the state of New York increases at a fast pace in the 2021 Community Survey census, 213,000 people were identified as Asian Indian.“This is a city thats continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “Our school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground.”Assemblywoman Rajkumar, who was instrumental in drafting the concerned bill, said, “Today we say to over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain Americans across New York City, we see you. Today we say to families from India, Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal, and Bangladesh, we recognize you.”Weve been fighting to make #Diwali an @NYCSchools holiday for a long time. Join us now at City Hall. https://t.co/QWctGPENLN— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 26, 2023Diwali holiday news celebrated by Indo-Americans in NYCDiwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals and is celebrated by more than two lakh people in New York. The move to declare the holiday was celebrated by Indian Americans, who took to Twitter to congratulate the Mayor.Thank You @voteshekar @LindaLeeforNYC for getting this done when others elected has been promised and misled our community! @DiwaliCoalition https://t.co/ThlxK9Mc0c— Dilip Nath (@dilipnathnyc) June 27, 2023Now, students who celebrate Diwali will get a day off from school to observe the festival at their homes. Dibya Talukder, a resident of New York who was present during the announcement, said, “All the Hindu children now get to feel like they belong. Most of all, Im happy that my culture, the culture of my family and my ancestors is going to be honoured by the city. This is the culture who made me who I am.”
