HINDUS are seeking public holiday in the ACT on Diwali, the most popular of their festivals, starting in 2022.
President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed, in a statement from Nevada in the US, said it was unfair that ACT Hindus had to be at work or school on their most popular festival while there were public holidays on other religious days.
He suggested the government needed to revisit its public-holiday policies as the ACT demographics had changed making it a multicultural society and Hindu populations were continuing to grow. He urged ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr to seriously examine this issue of fairness.
Rajan Zed said it was important for Hindu families to celebrate Diwali day together at home or at the temple. A public holiday on Diwali would ensure that and it would be “a step in the positive direction”.
He believed awareness about other religions created by such holidays such as Diwali would strengthen cohesion and unity in the ACT and contribute to “well-nurtured and enlightened citizens”.
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