Babu Tongawalla
NEW YORK: 12 Long Island (New York) public school districts plan closing schools for Diwali day this year.It is pitched now by Indian Americans that all public school districts and private-charter-parochial-independent schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties to close on this most popular festival of Diwali.
It is contended , said that it was simply not fair with Indian students of most of the Long Island schools, as they had to be at school on their most popular festival while there were holidays to commemorate festivals of other religions.
Diwali falls on October 24 this year; and 2022-2023 calendars of Deer Park, East Meadow, East Williston, Elwood Union Free, Half Hollow Hills Central, Herricks Public, Hicksville Public, Jericho Union Free, Levittown Public, New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free, North Babylon, Syosset Central School-Districts/Schools; show their schools closed for students on October 24.
RajanZed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, observed that holiday on Diwali in Long Island schools would be a step in the positive direction in view of the context of a substantial number of Hindu students at schools, as it was vital to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils.
All Long Island schools, public-private-charter-parochial-independent, should seriously look into declaring Diwali as an official holiday, thus recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education. Zed noted that awareness about ‘other’ religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make Long Island students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow, Rajan added
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
Also Read: 23 New Jersey school districts to close for Diwali 2022
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