[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE RELIGIOUS AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FESTIVAL 
                               OF DIWALI

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further 
consideration of House Resolution 245 and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 245

       Whereas Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian 
     Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually 
     by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the United States;
       Whereas there are nearly 2,000,000 Hindus in the United 
     States, of which approximately 1,250,000 are of Indian and 
     South Asian origin;
       Whereas the word ``Diwali'' is a shortened version of the 
     Sanskrit term ``Deepavali'', which means ``a row of lamps'';
       Whereas Diwali is a festival of lights, during which 
     celebrants light small oil lamps, place them around the home, 
     and pray for health, knowledge, and peace;
       Whereas celebrants of Diwali believe that the rows of lamps 
     symbolize the light within the individual that rids the soul 
     of the darkness of ignorance;
       Whereas Diwali, falling on the last day of the last month 
     in the lunar calendar, is celebrated as a day of thanksgiving 
     and the beginning of the new year for many Hindus;
       Whereas for Hindus, Diwali is a celebration of the victory 
     of good over evil;
       Whereas for Sikhs, Diwali is feted as the day that the 
     sixth founding Sikh Guru, or revered teacher, Guru Hargobind, 
     was released from captivity by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir; 
     and
       Whereas for Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of the 
     attainment of moksha or liberation by Mahavira, the last of 
     the Tirthankaras, who were the great teachers of Jain dharma, 
     at the end of his life in 527 B.C.: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the religious and historical significance of 
     the festival of Diwali; and
       (2) requests the President to issue a proclamation 
     recognizing Diwali.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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