Hindu families urge Wayne school board to recognize Diwali
By: Philip DeVencentis
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
WAYNE - Local Hindus want school officials to include Diwali as a holiday on the district calendar, saying their children are forced to make a difficult choice between being present in class and practicing their faith.
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Several Indian American residents addressed the issue at the most recent meeting of the Board of Education, but no decisions was made to update the district calendar.
..... Diwali is on Monday October 20, this year; on 2026, it will fall on a Sunday.
..... The holiday, a festival of lights observed by a billion people across the globe, is comparable in significance to Christmas for Christians. Jains, Sikhs and some buddists also celebrate it.
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Kamala Anupindi told trustees the Indian American community seeks "equity in student experience." She noted that the district builds in days off for other religious holidays, including Christmas, Eid al-Fitr and Yom Kippur.
..... Anupindi organized a township Diwali event at the municipal building two years ago, and the festival is now an annual tradition. "When children are;t given time to celebrate holidays and to engage in rituals important to them," she said, "they lost out on their culture."
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New Jersey, home to one of the world's largest Hindu temples. BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robinsville, has more Hindus than any other state when measured as a population percentage.
..... Rajan Zed, the president of the Nevada-based University Society of Hinduism, said in a July 29 [2025] statement that 29 districts in New Jersey observe Diwali as a holiday for students.
..... Clifton is the only one that does so in Passaic county, Zed said, but others include Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Paramus, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Ridgewood. The state Education Department permits absences from school for 19 Hindu holidays, including Diwali.
..... Purnendu Raval said observing on the district calendar would befit all students in Wayne - even those who do not celebrate it at home. He said it would help them to learn more about Indian culture.
..... "Wayne is a community that grows stronger through diversity," Raval said.
....."Recognizing Diwali would be a meaningful reflection of that truth," he added, and a "message to every family that they're respected, included and celebrated."
..... Schools Superintendent David Cittadino, in his first meeting as the district leader said he would meet with the concerned residents to discuss options for observing Diwali in the future. By law, New Jersey districts must be in session for at least 189 days between July 1 and June 30 to be eligible for state aid. The district calendar, approved by trustees in February, [2025] will have students in school for 184 days this year. There are 189 days scheduled for teachers.