Welcoming Champlain Valley, Essex Westford, Burlington, Winooski school districts and Hinesburg Communtiy School declaring Diwali holiday during 2025-26 school year, Hindus are urging all public school districts and private-charter-independent schools in Vermont to close on their most popular festival Diwali.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that holiday on Diwali in Vermont schools would be a step in the positive direction in view of the presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at schools around the state, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Vermont to officially recognize Diwali as a state holiday like Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Rajan Zed indicated that since it was important for Hindu families to celebrate Diwali day together at home with their children; closing schools on Diwali would ensure that and would also display how respectful and accommodating Vermont schools were to their faith.

If schools had declared other religious holidays, why not Diwali, Zed asked. Holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion, Zed added.

Rajan Zed suggested that all Vermont schools, public-private-charter-independent, to seriously look into declaring Diwali as an official holiday, thus recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education. Zed noted that awareness about other religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make Vermont students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.

Zed urged Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Zoie Saunders and Vermont tate Board of Education Chair Jennifer Deck Samuelson to work towards adding Diwali as an official holiday in all the state's public schools, and persuading the private-charter-independent schools to follow.

Rajan Zed thanked Vermont's five school districts for understanding the concerns of Hindu community by closing schools on Diwali. "However, I do not understand why these school districts announced closure of schools for Diwali on October 23; while main Diwali celebrations this year are stated to be held on October 20", Zed pointed out.

Zed further says that Hinduism is rich in festivals and religious festivals are very dear and sacred to Hindus. Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about 3.2 million Hindus in the USA.

Rajan Zed

വാചകം ന്യൂസ് വാട്ട്സ് ആപ്പ് ഗ്രൂപ്പിൽ പങ്കാളിയാകുവാൻ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക .

ടെലിഗ്രാം :ചാനലിൽ അംഗമാകാൻ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക .

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