The New York state legislature passed a bill in a final scramble before recess to make Diwali a school holiday in the city
Posted Date – 11:59 PM, Sat – 6/10/23
Photo: IANS
New York: The New York state legislature passed a bill in a final scramble before recess to make Diwali a school holiday in the city.
Both the Senate and Assembly voted in favor of the bill before wrapping up early Saturday morning, and it will now go to Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it into law.
Introducing the bill, MP Jenifer Rajkumar said the “vibrant cultural heritage” of South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities had passed “by making Diwali a school holiday” For a long time.
Approximately 200,000 students from these communities will be able to celebrate the Festival of Lights on their own terms without going to school.
“As the first Indian-American and South Asian-American woman elected to office in New York State, I am especially proud to advocate for new American communities, including those celebrating Diwali,” Rajkumar said.
Two previous attempts to pass the legislation in 2021 and 2022 were unsuccessful.
The bill overcame last-minute hurdles after bill sponsor Rajkumar and state Senator Joseph Adabo dropped a proposal to have Diwali replace Brooklyn’s Queens Day holiday and leave it to the city’s discretion.
Diwali may replace an obscure holiday, the anniversary, to maintain the 180-day curriculum required each year.
In February, the New York City Council passed a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Linda Lee to make Diwali a school holiday, subject to state approval.
New York Mayor Eric Adams supported the legislation, unlike his predecessors, as did school principal David Banks.
The New York legislature also passed a bill making Lunar New Year a statewide school holiday.
U.S. House of Representatives Grace Meng, who introduced the bill to make Diwali a federal holiday, said: “The approval of these two measures by the New York State Legislature is a great reminder and celebration of the enormous diversity that exists in our state, and Highlight how this diversity should be reflected in our residents’ holidays.”
After earlier acknowledging the importance of Diwali, New York City suspended parking regulations for Diwali in 2006, placing it alongside other religious festivals.
The City Council voted to add the Festival of Lights to the list, overriding a veto by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The moratorium on parking on one side of the road on certain days is meant to ensure holidaygoers don’t have to move their vehicles during the festivities.
