Neela Pandya
NEW YORK: Seven school districts in New York State would stay closed on November 7, the day of Indian festival Diwali, while one more has announced “student recess” on the same day.
Schools in East Meadow School District (Westbury), East Williston Union Free School District (Old Westbury), Half Hollow Hills Central School District (Dix Hills), Herricks Public Schools (New Hyde Park), Hicksville Public Schools (Hicksville), Jericho School District (Jericho),Syosset Central School District (Syosset), will stay closed on November seven (Diwali day); while Port Washington Union Free School District (Port Washington) has announced “student recess” on November seven; reports suggest.
Welcoming this move on the part of different school managements, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, observed that closing schools on Diwali day by these New York school districts is “a step in the positive direction”. He urged all public school districts and private-charter-independent schools in New York State to follow this lead and observe Diwali
If schools had declared other religious holidays, why not Diwali, Rajan had argued saying that holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion
He urged New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Education Department Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and New York State Commissioner of Education Mary Ellen Elia to work towards adding Diwali as an official holiday in all the 733 public school districts, and persuading the private-charter-independent schools to follow.
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