18 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 11, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Richmond Hill community leaders rally to make
Diwali a New York City public school holiday
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Community leaders joined
local elected offi cials and residents
for a rally in Richmond
Hill on Sunday, Nov. 7, during
which they called on the city, yet
again, to make Diwali an offi cial
public school holiday.
Th eir message was loud and
clear: “What do we want? Diwali!
When do we want it? Now!”
Members of the South Queens
Women’s March, the Caribbean
Equality Project, Jahajee Sisters
and the United Madrassi
Association were gathered across
the street from Sybil’s Bakery,
located at 132-17 Liberty Ave.
According to organizers, it’s
been a decades-long fi ght to
have Diwali — a fi ve-day festival
of lights celebrated by millions
of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and
Buddhists across the world —
recognized as a holiday in New
York City.
“The last administration
promised that they would do it,
and that administration is coming
to an end, and we are still
celebrating Diwali at our desks,”
said Vijah Ramjattan, founder
and president of the United
Madrassi Association, which
promotes unity in the community.
“Our children should not
have to choose between their
faith and an education.”
A major festival in South Asia
and in Indo-Caribbean countries,
Diwali celebrates the triumph
of light over darkness,
good over evil and knowledge
over ignorance. During the holiday,
families decorate their
homes and illuminate them with
lights, and partake in family
feasts and gift -giving.
Hundreds of thousands of
New Yorkers with South Asian
and Indo-Caribbean Heritage
celebrate the festival.
When Mayor Bill de Blasio
approved the Muslim holidays
Eid Al-Fitr and Eid-Al Adha and
the Asian Lunar New Year celebrations
joining the Jewish holidays
of Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur, along with Christmas,
on the city school calendar, but
not Diwali, activists formed the
Diwali Coalition of New York
City to push for change.
Th is year, Diwali, also known
as Deepavali or Deepawali, was
celebrated on Nov. 4, a school
day and also a parent-teacher
conference aft ernoon for thousands
of New York City elementary
schoolchildren.
For Aminta Kilawan-Narine,
founder and director of South
Queens Women’s March, it
should be a basic right for educators,
parents and children to
observe Diwali at home.
“When I was a kid, my mom
worked all day long, came home
and made her sweets, and made
sure we had time to light our
diyas,” Kilawan-Narine said. “We
didn’t have time to clean; we
would have to clean our home
the weekend before because we
knew we wouldn’t get the day
off .”
Community advocate Albert
Baldeo echoed Kilawan-Narine’s
sentiments.
“Diwali is part of our fundamental
right that we deserve and
have a right in America, which
has also been observed in other
parts of the world, and thank
God that we are getting there,”
Baldeo said.
As de Blasio’s term comes to
an end, advocates are hoping
that Mayor-elect Eric Adams
will fulfi ll his promise of signing
Diwali into a holiday aft er he
takes offi ce on Jan. 1, 2022.
Mohamed Amin, founder
and executive director of the
Caribbean Equality Project,
said they’re holding Adams, as
well as their community leaders,
accountable to ensure that
Diwali does become a holiday.
“Oft entimes, elected offi cials
and candidates will come to our
community and make promises
and tokenize our vote and they
will tell us what we want to hear
so we can vote for them, and
when they get in offi ce, they will
forget us. Th at will not happen
this time,” Amin said.
District Leader Richard David,
who is a member of the Diwali
Coalition of New York City, reassured
the community that he
will see that Richmond Hill is
served at every level of government.
“Th ere are many people who
tell you all kinds of things before
they get into offi ce, and that’s
why it’s so important for this
community to never give up,”
said Richards, who also urged
residents to register to vote. “Th e
fi ght ahead of us is going to be
getting Diwali, Gift ed & Talented
programs and communities that
are overburdened by taxes. It’s
going to be for all of us, and we
are going to need you in that
fi ght.”
Th e community is also receiving
support from Queens lawmakers
such as Congress members
Carolyn Maloney and Gregory
Meeks, Assemblywoman Jenifer
Rajkumar and Councilwomanelect
Joann Ariola.
Maloney and Meeks on Nov.
3 announced the Deepavali Day
Act, which would make Diwali
a nationally recognized federal
holiday.
Meanwhile, Rajkumar, the fi rst
South Asian-American woman
ever to be elected to a state offi ce
in New York, was proud to say
one of her fi rst bills introduced
in the state Capitol was to make
Diwali a public school holiday.
“Th e time has come. We are
going to make it happen,” said
Rajkumar, who presented proclamations
to the United Madrassi
Association and Ramjattan for
his leadership. “It’s not the end
of representation, as I have introduced
a resolution at the state
level to celebrate Indian Arrival
Day in New York state. Next year
will be the fi rst time we celebrate
it in New York, and this will be
the last time we will be standing
here rallying for Diwali to be a
school holiday.”
Ariola said it’s an honor
to be elected into the City
Council to serve the community
and to see that legislation
is signed into law
making Diwali a holiday for
New Yorkers to celebrate it
the way they should.
“It is a wonderful holiday
— a holiday that
brings joy, love and light.
It shouldn’t have to be
rushed and it shouldn’t have
to be a day a child loses at
school,” Ariola said. “And
when children go to school,
they should be asked,
‘How was your holiday?’”
State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar presents a proclamation to Vijah Ramjattan,
founder of the United Madrassi Association.
Vijah Ramjattan, founder and president of the United Madrassi Association,
lights a candle and a diya (an oil lamp) by Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love,
prosperity and wealth.
Photos by Carlotta Mohamed
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