State Sen. Leroy Comrie, at podium, stands with religious leaders at Shri Surya Narayan Mandir, a temple in Jamaica, to push for the passing of a state bill that would make Diwali a public holiday in an effort to give students that day off.
Associate Editor
Each year, thousands of Hindu parents in Queens are forced to pull their children out of school so they can celebrate Diwali.
State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Hollis) is seeking to put an end to that.
“We’re asking that in this most diverse state, and this state that has opened its doors to people from all over the world that we recognize Diwali as a public school holiday,” Comrie said last Saturday outside of Shri Surya Narayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Jamaica.
Comrie on May 13 introduced new legislation that would create a public holiday on Diwali. The bill is in front of the Judiciary Committee.
The Assembly companion to the bill, also awaiting committee review, is sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), whose district has a large concentration of those who observe Diwali, which takes place anywhere from mid-October to mid-November.
A state law already permits the Department of Education to give students Diwali off, as well as Lunar New Year and the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
But only the last two were added as days off on the 2015-16 school calendar, sparking outrage by the Hindu and Asian communities.
Mayor de Blasio during a February press conference announcing the addition of the two holidays, said he and city Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will work to recognize other religious and cultural holidays.
“What we’ve found in this process is that we are in a very tight situation, as I said, with the number of days that we have to achieve each year, so it’s going to take more work to get to that,” de Blasio said then.
South Asian leaders gathered with Comrie outside the Jamaica temple last week echoed the senator’s call to have children off during the Hindu Festival of Lights.
“To make Diwali a holiday in New York state would be finally a recognition to all Hindus,” Ram Hardowar, a priest at the temple, said. “We are approaching or maybe have passed a population of one million Hindus in the five boroughs. We think it’s finally time for the Hindus to be recognized.”
Mohammed Hack, president of the Inter-Faith Council for Community Development, stressed the diversity of faiths in the city and how each one deserves equal recognition.
“Our great nation by the Constitution offers us freedom of religion and it is very important that every religion benefit from that,” Hack said, adding that he supported the addition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the school calendar. “We can’t offer to some faith and neglect the other.”
Alicia Hyndman — a Democrat who is looking to replace former Assemblyman Bill Scarborough and represent Jamaica in a special election — also pushed for passage of the bill.
“We know that in the public school system we have such a diverse population of children,” Hyndman said.
Comrie said he will have his “fingers and toes crossed” that the Senate and Assembly bills are passed this legislative session, which ends in two weeks.