US: Bill Introduced To Make Diwali An Official Federal Holiday

US lawmaker Grace Meng introduced a bill to declare the Hindu festival of Diwali an official Federal holiday in the United States Of America.

The US has a large Indian community and Diwali is one of the most celebrated Indian festivals abroad. Every year on Diwali, the US Embassy is also decorated with lights and diyas to acknowledge the celebration.

US lawmaker Grace Meng on Friday introduced a bill on the same in Congress. She said, ‘Today, I was proud to announce the introduction of the #Diwali Day Act, my bill that would make Diwali a federal holiday. Thank you to all my government colleagues and the many advocates who joined me to express their support.

The bill cited as Diwali Day Act would designate Diwali as the 12th official federal holiday in the US.

Earlier, the state of Pennsylvania in the US declared Diwali as an official holiday and the state House passed the bill.