Washington:
Diwali is a reminder of the numerous methods People of South Asian descent have enriched the US, Secretary of State Tony Blinken mentioned Friday as he hosted the annual reception of the pageant of lights with members of the diplomatic group and Indian-People.
At its core, Diwali is about the concept mild will push again in opposition to darkness, that compassion, curiosity can overcome ignorance, and that everyone has an obligation to look after the opposite, he mentioned in his remarks on the Diwali reception he hosted on the Division of State.
“I can not consider a extra highly effective lesson to take to coronary heart on this time for our world than that,” Blinken mentioned.
“It’s also a reminder of the numerous methods South Asian tradition — and People of South Asian descent — have enriched our nation, from the novels of Jhumpa Lahiri to the style designs of Prabal Gurung. America derives a lot energy from this variety, together with the actually exceptional public servants — I can consider one offhand – the Vice President of the US Kamala Harris, World Financial institution President Ajay Banga, our very personal Deputy Secretary of State Wealthy Verma,” he mentioned.
He mentioned it was 10 years in the past that then Secretary John Kerry hosted the primary Diwali reception on the State Division, and since then this annual gathering has grow to be a time-honored custom.
“This 12 months, greater than 1 billion Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs world wide are celebrating Diwali, adorning houses within the vibrant patterns of rangoli, hanging garlands of flowers, lighting diyas. And with Diwali falling on October thirty first this 12 months, I perceive that there are some folks in the US who’ve even been throwing ‘Diwalloween’ events. And if time permits, we are going to get to a type of,” Blinken mentioned amidst laughter.
Diwali holds totally different meanings and practices for various communities, he mentioned. “However Bengali poet Tagore maybe captured the spirit of the vacation finest when he wrote, and I quote ‘religion is the chicken that feels the sunshine when the daybreak remains to be darkish’,” he mentioned.
In his remarks, Deputy Secretary Verma mentioned Diwali pageant is a lot greater than only a vacation. “It’s a integral a part of our identities, a robust custom that carries deep private which means and unites households and buddies over shared reminiscences, shared experiences, and shared feelings,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he might bear in mind his mom and father telling him their experiences of celebrating Diwali in Punjab, in Jalandhar, and the lights and the nice sweets and the group that got here collectively.
“I’m reminded of my family’s upbringing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the place we additionally celebrated Diwali, having fun with conventional customs on this small city that welcomed us with sweets and hues and a lot extra. Individuals have mentioned there’s Holding Up with the Kardashians, and also you had the ‘Jalebis of Johnstown’,” Verma mentioned.
India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra was additionally current on the event.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
