New York declares Diwali as school holiday

Diwali, the festival of lights, will now be enshrined as a school holiday in New York City, authorities announced described it as a victory for the city's residents, including the Indian community.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was proud that the State Assembly and the State Senate have passed the bill making Diwali a New York City Public School holiday.

New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Indian-American woman ever elected to a New York State office, said for over two decades, the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean community has fought for this moment.

Joined by community and diaspora leaders as well as city officials and lawmakers, Adams said New York city is continuously changing and welcoming communities from all over the world.

Last month, Meng introduced a bill in Congress to make Diwali a federal holiday.

Under the Diwali Day Act, Diwali would become the 12th federally recognised holiday in the United States.