India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Many Indian Americans have pitched that all public, private/independent, charter, parochial schools in Orange County (Florida) should remain close on popular festival of Diwali; which falls on October 24 this year.
It would be fair with many India born students in Orange County schools not to come to school on their most popular festival, while schools were closed around other religious days.
RajangZed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that holiday on Diwali in Orange County schools would be a step in the positive direction in view of the reported presence of a considerable number of Hindu students; as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils.
If schools had declared holidays around other religious days, why not Diwali, Zed asked. Holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion.
All Orange County schools to seriously look into declaring Diwali as an official holiday, thus recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education. Zed noted that awareness about ‘other’ religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make their students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.
Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara M. Jenkins and Board Chair Teresa Jacobs are urged to work towards adding Diwali as an official holiday in their schools; and persuading the area private/independent, charter, parochial schools to follow. He also sought the wholehearted support of Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Junior and Florida Education Board Chair Tom Grady; Florida Council of Independent Schools; Association of Independent Schools of Florida; Orlando Roman Catholic Bishop John Noonan; on this issue.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
