The New York City Council - File #: Res 0146-2018

• File #: Res 0146-2018
• Version: *
• Name: Establish Diwali as an official holiday for NYC public school students.
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Filed (End of Session)
• File created: 2/14/2018
• In control: Committee on Education
• On agenda: 2/14/2018
• Final action: 12/31/2021
• Title: Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to establish Diwali as an official holiday for New York City public school students.
• Sponsors: Daniel Dromm , Daniel Dromm , Paul A. Vallone, Barry S. Grodenchik, I. Daneek Miller, Adrienne E. Adams, Margaret S. Chin, Peter A. Koo, Carlos Menchaca, Deborah L. Rose, Karen Koslowitz, Justin L. Brannan, Keith Powers , Antonio Reynoso, Diana I. Ayala, Robert F. Holden, Carlina Rivera , James G. Van Bramer, Francisco P. Moya, Helen K. Rosenthal, Ben Kallos, Mark Levine, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Brad S. Lander, Mark Treyger, Stephen T. Levin, Fernando Cabrera , Laurie A. Cumbo, Ruben Diaz, Sr., Kalman Yeger , Vanessa L. Gibson, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Eric A. Ulrich, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
12/31/2021	*	City Council	Filed (End of Session)
12/31/2021	*	City Council	Filed (End of Session)
2/26/2020	*	Committee on Education	Hearing Held by Committee
2/26/2020	*	Committee on Education	Hearing Held by Committee
2/26/2020	*	Committee on Education	Laid Over by Committee
2/26/2020	*	Committee on Education	Laid Over by Committee
2/14/2018	*	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
2/14/2018	*	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
2/14/2018	*	City Council	Introduced by Council
2/14/2018	*	City Council	Introduced by Council

Res. No. 146

Title
Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to establish Diwali as an official holiday for New York City public school students.
Body

By Council Members Dromm, Vallone, Grodenchik, Miller, Adams, Chin, Koo, Menchaca, Rose, Koslowitz, Brannan, Powers, Reynoso, Ayala, Holden, Rivera, Van Bramer, Moya, Rosenthal, Kallos, Levine, Ampry-Samuel, Salamanca, Lander, Treyger, Levin, Cabrera, Cumbo, R. Diaz, Yeger, Gibson, Brooks-Powers, Ulrich and the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams)

Whereas, According to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest American Religious Identification Survey in 2008, there were 582,000 Hindus, 78,000 Sikhs, and 1,189,000 Buddhists in the United States; and
Whereas, According to the Census Bureau's 2016 American Community Survey, there were about 227,825 New York City residents who identify themselves as Asian Indian, of which many are adherents of Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, or Buddhism; and
Whereas, Diwali, a five-day festival that begins on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November), is the most important festival on the Hindu calendar, celebrating the triumph of good over evil and marking the New Year; and
Whereas, Diwali is commonly known as the Festival of Lights, with celebrants lighting millions of lanterns, symbols of knowledge and inner light, to dispel ignorance and darkness; and
Whereas, For Sikhs, Diwali is the day the Mughal Emperor released Hargobind, the revered sixth Guru, from captivity; and
Whereas, For Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of the attainment of moksha, or liberation, by Mahavira, who was the last of the Tirthankaras, or the great teachers of Jain dharma; and
Whereas, Some Buddhists celebrate Diwali to commemorate the day King Ashok converted to Buddhism; and
Whereas, Despite the large number of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists in New York City, Diwali is not recognized as a school holiday in the New York Cit...