[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16015-16016]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING THE FESTIVAL OF DIWALI

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 291, and 
the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 291) recognizing the religious and 
     historical significance of the festival of Diwali.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 291) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 291

       Whereas Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian 
     Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually 
     by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains throughout India, the United 
     States, and the world;
       Whereas Diwali is a festival of lights, during which 
     celebrants light small oil lamps, place the lamps around the 
     home, and pray for health, knowledge, peace, wealth, and 
     prosperity in the new year;
       Whereas the lights symbolize the light of knowledge within 
     the individual that overwhelms the darkness of ignorance, 
     empowering each celebrant to do good deeds and show 
     compassion to others;
       Whereas Diwali falls on the last day of the last month in 
     the lunar calendar and is celebrated as a day of thanksgiving 
     for the homecoming of the Lord Rama and worship of Lord 
     Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and bestower of blessings, 
     at the beginning of the new year for many Hindus;
       Whereas for Sikhs, Diwali is celebrated as Bandhi Chhor 
     Diwas (The Celebration of Freedom), in honor of the release 
     from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind; and
       Whereas for Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of the 
     attainment of moksha, or liberation, by Mahavira, the last of 
     the Tirthankaras (the great teachers of Jain dharma), at the 
     end of his life in 527 B.C.: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the religious and historical significance of 
     the festival of Diwali; and

[[Page 16016]]

       (2) in observance of Diwali, the festival of lights, 
     expresses its deepest respect for Indian Americans and South 
     Asian Americans, as well as fellow countrymen and diaspora 
     throughout the world on this significant occasion.

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