CALIFORNIA: Hindus in California are seeking official holidays on Diwali in all 1,025 public school districts. They have also approached all 1,222 charter schools, 3,170 private schools, and all independent schools in the region to adopt the Hindu festival as an official holiday on their 2017-18 calendars.
In a statement, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said it would be a step in the positive direction in view of presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at school around the state, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of these pupils. President of Universal Society of Hinduism, Zed indicated that schools should make efforts to accommodate the religious requirements of Hindu students and show respect to their faith by not conducting regular business and scheduling classes on Diwali. "We do not want our students to be put at an unnecessary disadvantage for missing tests/examinations/papers, assignments, class work, etc., by taking a day off to observe Diwali."
He urged California Governor Edmund Gerald Brown Jr, California State Board of Education President Michael Kirst, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, California School Boards Association CEO Vernon M Billy, California Charter Schools Association President Jed Wallace, California Association of Private School Organisations President Kevin Baxter, and California Association of Independent Schools Executive Director James McManus to work towards adding Diwali as an official holiday in all the public, charter, private, and independent schools of the state.
He further said, "Hinduism is rich in festivals, and religious festivals are very clear and sacred to Hindus. Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives. It symbolises the victory of good over evil. Besides Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali which falls on October 19 in 2017."
