: The White House has been celebrating Diwali for the past several years. This year, the US Congress will make its debut.
Following an initiative of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are hosting a Diwali event on Capitol Hill next week.
“We’re setting a major precedent that will hopefully last for years and decades to come,” said Congressman Joseph Crowley, the Democratic co-chair of the India Caucus.
Crowleylauded Tulsi Gabbard, the first-ever Hindu member of Congress and Ami Bera, the only Indian-American lawmaker in the House of Representatives, for helping with the planning of the event and stirring up interest among members.
“I think it is a testament to the growth of the Indian-American community,” Crowley told “Roll Call”, the journal focusing on Congressional affairs.
The Diwali message of “victory of light over darkness, truth over untruth and righteousness over wrong” has “great relevance at a time when politics and partisanship seem to overshadow compassion and concern for the greater good”, commented Gabbard.*US Congress to celebrate Diwali for the first time.