India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Continuing a tradition established five years ago, the White House celebrated the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali this year on Nov 7 with the usual fanfare and gusto. Held in the ornate Indian Treaty Room in the Executive Offices building attached to the White House, the festivities saw more than 150 prominent Indian Americans participating in the festivities that were led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Assistant Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.

An invocation by Dr P. Jayaraman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York, was followed by chanting of mantras and shlokas, brief discourse on the relevance of Diwali celebration in today’s world and the lighting of the ceremonial diya by Secretary Paulson, Under Secretary Burns, and community representatives Dr Piyush C. Agrawal and Dr Akshay Desai. Befitting the occasion, Ganesh Vandana and Laxmi Vandana was rendered by Pandita Tripti Mukherjee, Hindustani classical vocalist and illustrious disciple of Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, accompanied by Bidisha Ghosh and Raje Shree Dave and tabla player Aditya Banerjee. President’s message Although President George W. Bush disappointed the community once again by abstaining from the event, Special Assistant to the President Brian McCormack welcomed the guests and expressed his immense pleasure that this was the fifth time this event was being held at The White House.

However, in a message specially acknowledging Diwali, President Bush said, "I send greetings to those celebrating Deepavali (Diwali), the Festival of Lights. Light is an enduring symbol of hope and holds deep, spiritual significance for people everywhere. During Diwali, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and many others in India and around the world will light lamps in celebration, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. This festival brings together family and friends and helps ensure rich traditions are passed on to future generations. Diwali is also an opportunity to celebrate the bonds of friendship between India and the United States.

The lights of Diwali remind us to work together to build a brighter future for all. Laura and I send our best wishes for a happy Diwali. May the year ahead be filled with hope and blessings." Indo-US friendship Secretary Paulson, who recently returned from a visit to India wondered aloud "What a great country India is!" and emphasized that its "economy is extraordinary."

During his discussions in India with leadership and the policy makers, he proposed to make Mumbai a "front office" financial center rather than a "back office" financial center and USA was willing to cooperate with India in this venture. Responding to concerns raised by some in the gathering over the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal, he categorically stated that the deal was in the interest of both countries. He observed that there has never been such a close cooperation between India and the US as it was now.

Paulson also pointed out that under the Bush Administration, the largest number of Indian Americans has been appointed in the Government. Praising the community, he said, Indian Americans have held onto their cultural heritage, but have nevertheless managed to integrate themselves into the fabric of American society, which in his view has been greatly enriched by the contributions of Indian culture. Secretary Paulson stated that President Bush greatly values Indian-American relations, and noted the Bush Administration’s strong view that the US-India civic nuclear deal would promote the interests of both countries.

He expressed hope that the deal would move forward while affirming the United States Government’s respect for India’s democratic processes. Notwithstanding the uncertain fate of the deal, he observed, relations between the United States and India have never been as good as they are today. In particular, Secretary Paulson noted the considerable cooperation in areas such as agriculture, counterterrorism, and education. The Diwali function, he concluded, offered an opportune moment in which to renew the bonds between the two countries. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns the chief US negotiator on the US-India Civic Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, and a Senior Foreign Service Officer said, "How much we appreciate this US India friendship despite the many differences of culture, religion and ethnicity."

Burns fondly praised the Indian Community in the US and lauded its achievement. He noted that the Indian community is a "living bridge" between India and the US. What was most interesting about Burns’ speech was that he briefly summarized the Ramayana and connected the historical belief of Rama’s return to Ayodhya with the celebration of Diwali.

He highlighted the importance of Diwali the Bush Administration has placed on its celebration and the fact that it is being celebrated at the world’s "Seat of Power – The White House" is an indication of commitment of the US to its Indian citizens. "Indians are everywhere and therefore Diwali is celebrated everywhere," he said. He refrained from commenting on the discussions going on in India on the nuclear deal, as it was an internal matter to be resolved by India. But, he saw the nuclear deal as a "breaking the shield" phenomenon that has kept India outside of the nuclear community for so long. Burns further predicted that the United States and India won’t be allied on every issue, but will nevertheless forge a strong partnership in the coming years.

He noted that cooperative agreements like the nuke deal would further promote more cooperation between the two countries in fields as varied as Space Exploration & Research to New Green Revolution in Agriculture resulting in more trade and investments. In the concluding portion of his remarks, Ambassador Burns offered some thoughts on the meaning of Diwali and the symbolic importance of the celebration.

Diwali, he said, underscores much of what the United States and India have in common. He noted in particular that Diwali symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, and thus speaks to universal human hopes and values. He also emphasized the fact that there are different versions of the historical-religious events underlying Diwali. This underscores the importance of cultural pluralism, he explained, noting that an epic can have many versions, which are still part of the same story.

The White House Diwali celebration event for this year was coordinated by Vishal Amin, Associate Director in The White House Speechwriting Office and Asian and Pacific American Liaison and Dr Piyush Agrawal, National Coordinator for USA of The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). Also present were Jackon, Mississippi based Dr Sampat Shivangi, Ash Jain, Uttam Dillon and Ombudsman in the Department of Homeland Security Prakash Katri, and Ambassador R. Jassal from the Indian Embassy.