Diwali all set to become a public school holiday in New York City

New York City will now add Diwali, the festival of lights, to the list of its public school holidays. This addition comes over the city administration’s recognition of the growth of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities. 

However, Diwali, that is celebrated around October-November, depending on the lunar calendar, will not be a public school holiday this year as the calendar has already been made. Diwali will be celebrated on a Sunday, November 12, this year. 

According to New York City officials, over 2 lakh residents of the city celebrate Diwali, involving Hindus, Sikhs, Jains as well as some Buddhists. 

"This is a city that's continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world,” said Mayor Eric Adams, who added that the school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground. Diwali will join celebrations of Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year as a day off for students. 

Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, would be required to sign the bill for it to become official. The bill was passed by the New York state legislature earlier this month. 

Mayor Adams, who pledged to make Diwali a school holiday in his mayoral campaign in 2021, said that he expects Hochul to sign the bill. Hochul had hosted a Diwali celebration last fall. 

New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who is the key force behind the bill, said that after a fight for two decades, she has been able to dedicate this victory to the country, community and New York. 

“I'm so proud to have stood with Assemblymember @JeniferRajkumar and community leaders in the fight to make Diwali a school holiday. I know it's a little early in the year, but: Shubh Diwali!” said Mayor Adams. 

Senator Joe Addabbo said, “Proud and thankful to have had my Senate bill for Diwali to be a NYC school holiday pass unanimously with bipartisan support. Congratulations to Diwali holiday’s major advocate Assemblymember @JeniferRajkumar and thanks to @ericadamsfornyc for his leadership and Diwali support.”

The push for the official recognition of Diwali came on the back of a growing South Asian community. As per the 2021 American Community Survey, the population of New York City categorised as Asian Indian has more than doubled from 94,000 in 1990 to about 213,000.

(With inputs from Associated Press)

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