Bills introduced in Michigan to recognise Diwali, Eid as official holidays
Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Apr, 2023 11:06 AM
New York, April 28 (IANS) Three legislators, including an Indian-American, in the Michigan State House have introduced a set of bills to establish festivals like Diwali and Eid as official state-recognised holidays.
Led by Majority Floor Leader in the House, Abraham Aiyash, and state representatives Ranjeev Puri and Sharon MacDonell, introduced the legislation to make Diwali, Vaisakhi, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Lunar New Year as official holidays in Michigan.
House Bills 4446 and 4449, introduced by Puri, establish Diwali and Vaisakhi as state holidays.
"Celebrating our cultural diversity is a cornerstone of a vibrant and inclusive society. By recognising these holidays, we are not only showing our respect and appreciation for the traditions and beliefs of our fellow Michiganders, but we are also sending a powerful message of inclusion and unity," Puri said.
A Hindu religious festival, Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance, and Vaisakhi is a spring harvest festival celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs, a statement released by Michigan House Democrats read.
"These bills embrace the diverse fabric of our state by recognising various religious and cultural holidays," Aiyash said, introducing Bill 4447, which calls for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr as state holidays.
"Making these holidays official state holidays will let Michigan's many communities know that they have a place in our great state and deserve to celebrate their joyous occasions like everyone else."
At present, Michigan has 12 officially recognised holidays, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year, Juneteenth, and Martin Luther King Jr Day among the notable ones.
Close to 900,000 Asian Americans live in Michigan, with Indian-Americans making up the largest subgroup, according to Indian American Impact.
Most South Asians reside in Detroit and the surrounding area, in places like Troy, Novi, and Farmington Hills.
Recently, Pennsylvania declared Diwali as a national holiday after senators, Greg Rothman and Nikil Saval introduced a legislation in February this year.
According to Geo News, the former Prime Minister has been shifted to a hospital. Sources told Geo News that four to five PTI leaders have also sustained injuries. According to the police, the suspect who opened fire on Khan's container has been arrested. The assailant, idenfied as Faisal Butt, has confessed that the former Pakistan Prime Minister was his only target.
The Gurdwara in Clarence Place, Gravesend, was used as a place of worship in the early 1960s until 2008, when the community moved to new premises in Saddington Street. The old building, vacant since 2010, was saved from demolition in 2020 when councillors voted against plans to flatten it and build 19 flats.
The most recent census, says the report, shows that 15.4 per cent of British Indians, nearly 50 per cent of whom are Hindus, were in professional and managerial roles, the highest proportion of any group.
The top executive said that Micron Technologies will create 50,000 jobs in New York and partner with local colleges, universities and community organisations to build the workforce. Micron Technology is a Nasdaq-listed company that focuses on innovative memory and storage solutions.
Dhaliwal, who was 42 and had served as a sheriff's deputy for 10 years when he was killed, is survived by his wife and three children, according to Tunnel to Towers Foundation which honours the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre by raising funds to help families of first responders killed in action.
The casualties occured in a collision between a truck and a mini van in Connecticut state on Tuesday. According to information reaching the families of the deceased, eight persons were traveling in the mini van. While three persons died on the spot, four others sustained critical injuries while another person received minor injury.
