New York City Mayor Eric Adams has officially decalred Diwali as a school holiday aimed at honouring the city's South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities.
On Monday, Mayor Adams made the announcement at City Hall while being flanked by Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Hindu American and first South Asian American woman elected to state office, reports ABC 7.
"Today we say to over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain Americans, we see you," Rajkumar said.
"Today we say to families from India, Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal, and Bangladesh, we recognise you."
Taking to Twitter later in the day, Adams said: "I'm so proud to have stood with Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar and community leaders in the fight to make Diwali a school holiday.
"I know it's a little early in the year, but: Shubh Diwali!"
The Mayor's announcement comes after the New York State legislature on June 9 passed a Bill to make Diwali a school holiday in the city.
However, Governor Kathy Hochul is still yet to sign the bill to make it into a law.
Two earlier attempts to pass the legislation in 2021 and 2022 did not succeed.
An estimated 200,000 students from these communities will be able to celebrate the festival of lights in their own way, free of school.
In 2023, Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, November 12, so it will be a day off school for the first time in 2024.
The New York Department of Education said there will be four new days off during 2023-24 school calendar including April 1, the day after Easter, April 29 and 30, the two days of Passover, and June 17 for Eid.
Eager to join Assam’s transformational journey: Gautam Adani
Assam is on a path to greatness amid several ongoing transformative projects and we are honoured to walk this path alongside you, Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, said here on Tuesday.
Andhra announces Rs.10 lakh each for kin of three people killed by elephants
The government of Andhra Pradesh has announced Rs.10 lakh compensation each for the kin of the three devotees trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Annamayya district in the early hours of Tuesday.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta tables CAG report in Assembly; Speaker says 'blocking it a criminal offence'
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly, amid constant rounds of political sparring and squabbling between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP.
Crime rate in Bangladesh surges under Yunus-led interim government
The crime rate in Bangladesh is increasing at an alarming rate, according to the police data, which shows that in January, cases of murder, abduction, robbery, burglary, and theft have all seen a spike across the country and have been the worst compared to the last six years.
Adani Group to invest Rs 50,000 crore in Assam to boost infra, create jobs
The Adani Group on Tuesday announced a massive Rs 50,000 crore investment in Assam, marking one of the highest-ever investment commitments by a business group to the state.
Today, the world trusts India's governance which is constantly reforming: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Advantage Assam Summit in Guwahati on Tuesday, highlighted India’s growing global influence, robust economic policies, and the state's rapid development under the double engine government of the BJP.
Advantage Assam: PM Modi hails role of Northeast in building prosperous India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Advantage Assam 2.0 investors' summit in Guwahati on Tuesday, emphasizing that Eastern India has always played a crucial role in shaping a prosperous India.
Delhi Assembly: 12 AAP MLAs suspended for the day
A total of 12 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were suspended from the Delhi Assembly for unruly behaviour during the Lt. Governor's address on Tuesday.