Good news for Indians – Diwali will be a public school holiday in New York City starting 2023

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that Diwali would be a public school holiday starting 2023. He said the significance of the city’s inclusiveness and the “long overdue” step would encourage children to learn about the festival of lights. New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar and New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks joined him. The Mayor went on to add that in his conversations during the campaign trail, he “learned so much” about Diwali and what the festival of lights means. The intention to declare Diwali a holiday in New York City public schools was to send a loud and clear message to the countless number of people who acknowledge this period of celebration. Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal thanked the Mayor for making Diwali a school holiday. Diwali to be a public school holiday in New York City starting 2023.

Jenifer Rajkumar, the first South Asian-American woman ever to be elected to a state office in New York, said she is proud to say that “our time has come.” She said the time has come to recognize over the thousands of New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. For a long time, there had been growing calls by the Hindu community to declare Diwali a school holiday. Hundreds of thousands of Indians live in the area. Once the legislation goes through, Diwali will be a school holiday in the City of New York starting next year.

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He was one of the wittiest persons I have ever met

Here is the nineteenth unforgettable character in my life …

He was extremely careful of how he spent each paisa because, to him, each paisa saved added to your confidence to tackle the world. Before shifting over to the township, he stayed in rented accommodation outside. When he received the allotment of the quarter, he transferred his belongings by using the shift buses – one evening he brought the two plastic chairs, next day, the mattresses, followed by the bedroll, suitcases of clothes and on the last day, the steel cot.
It was a long drawn out process spread over the whole week but he completed the exercise without spending any money on transportation charges.

At that time he was newly married – subsequently, his parents came over to stay with him because he was their only son. He, in turn fathered two sons. He had the gift of the gab, wit came to him spontaneously and he had a wonderful bank of knowledge pertaining to Hindu customs, Gods and Goddesses. He was the heart of any party because he could make people break into peals of laughter by his play upon words. In addition, being a Brahmin, he was an indispensable part of all Bengali religious rituals and enjoyed the attention. The family was an exceptional one.
I remember an occasion when he borrowed Rs 20 from me in the hospital. Both of us had retired and would go to the hospital for our monthly medical checkup and medicines. That month he was in need of the money because the girl at the medicine billing counter did not have the necessary change. So, my friend borrowed the money from me to pay her and when we met next month, the first thing he did was to return the money to me.
Both his sons were good students and, in due course, completed their Engineering degrees. He married off his elder son who was employed in Mumbai – therefore, the son and daughter-in-law shifted over to Mumbai. Every alternate weekend he would come over to visit his parents. However, one Friday he did not turn up. He had met with a fatal accident on the railway tracks on his way home.
The younger son specialized in Metallurgy, got married and is now settled in Hyderabad. But, my friend lost his life to a cardiac arrest. He used to be the life of any gathering and we miss his company and his ability to crack jokes at the drop of a hat. It is a gift that very few people have.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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