NRIs celebrated
Diwali at the White House
Washington, Nov. 12, 2007
Balbir Hasanpuri
On Nov. 07, the Fifth Annual White House Diwali Celebration
took place in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House in the presence
of R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs and
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Arathi Krishna of the Indian embassy
said, "This year, a special significance as the US House of
Representatives for the first time passed a resolution recognising
the-religious and historical significance"
More than 200 guests attended the Diwali Celebration.
Sweets were distributed to the guests. It was indeed a festive occasion.
Vishal Amin, Associate Director in The White House Speechwriting
Office and Dr. Piyush Agrawal, National Coordinator for USA of The
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) were also
participate in this event.
Dr. P. Jayaraman, a Hindi and Tamil poet and the
Founding President of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan in New York played major
role of the mantras and shlokas
President George W. Bush, who was busy with other appointments,
sent a massage:
- I send greetings to those celebrating Deepavali (Diwali), the
Festival of Lights. Light is an enduring symbol of hope and holds
deep, spiritual significance for people everywhere.
- During Diwali, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and many others in India
and around the world will light lamps in celebration, symbolizing
the victory of good over evil. This festival brings together family
and friends and helps ensure rich traditions are passed on to
future generations. Diwali is also an opportunity to celebrate
the bonds of friendship between India and the United States. The
lights of Diwali remind us to work together to build a brighter
future for all. Laura and I send our best wishes for a happy Diwali.
May the year ahead be filled with hope and blessings.
President George W. Bush's Special Assistant Brian
McCormack welcomed the NRI guests and expressed his immense pleasure
that this is the fifth time this event is being held at The White
House. He invited the guests to enjoy this special occasion of Diwali
celebrations.
During the celebration, R. Nicholas Burns
remarks:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It’s my
great pleasure to be with you here at the annual White House Diwali
celebration. I see many friends in the audience. I’d also
like to recognize Secretary Paulson, who just returned from a very
successful trip to India.
The celebration of Diwali has followed the Indian diaspora to all
points on the globe and is now a major event for people of Indian
origin everywhere – from Singapore to South Africa, Suriname
to Seattle. We are proud to share in the celebration of Diwali,
for the fifth year, here at the White House.
I have been spending a lot of time helping strengthen U.S.-India
relations, but I am sorry that my visits to India have not included
the opportunity to celebrate this festival. I understand that although
its origins lie in the Hindu epic Ramayana, it is widely observed
throughout India with fireworks and by lighting small oil lamps.
It sounds like a beautiful way to celebrate.
I think the Diwali celebration offers parallels for the values
and bridges that link the United States and India together culturally.
So I’ll say a few words about that. Because I’m also
very involved in our government’s political work on U.S.-India
relations, I’d also like to say a few words about the politics
and diplomacy that are reinforcing the foundation of our increasing
cultural and private sector ties.
One important story associated with the Diwali celebration that
really struck me as I read about this holiday is that it commemorates
Rama and Sita’s return to the Kingdom of Ayodhya. Their return
ends their epic journey to Lanka after Rama vanquishes the demon
Ravana, rescues his wife, and both return to their kingdom. On their
way back to Ayodhya, people lit lamps to guide the way.
What struck me about this story is the symbolism: the holiday celebrates
the triumph of good over evil. It’s an important thing to
remember – the celebration of good, good acts, and success
in conquering demons. This is something wonderfully universal, for
we all confront demons of some kind at some point.
The other thing I’ve learned about Diwali is how deeply the
story is woven into Indian life, and in a surprising way. The late
scholar A.K. Ramanujan had written about the many versions of the
Ramayana – its many translations, different renderings and
interpretations, even different plot elements. Local detail, folklore,
and poetic traditions all have shaped different tellings of this
epic over the millennia.
These different tellings of the same story have made the story
of Rama a “second language” to Indians, with a shared
set of names, characters, and motifs that are easily recognized
throughout the nation and beyond. Everyone knows the story in some
form.
I think this is an amazing thing. The epic can have many versions,
but all are part of one shared story. It’s a living example
of the kind of cultural pluralism – on a truly grand scale
– that makes India such a compelling example of democratic
pluralism. This is such an important value, one shared by Americans
and Indians alike, and one of the great strengths that underlie
the U.S.-India relationship. We share this value in our societies.
Today we are brought together to celebrate India’s rich cultural
contributions to American traditions. This is the fifth annual Diwali
celebration at the White House, and that really says something about
the growth and prominence of Indian Americans.
Indian Americans are truly a “living bridge” between
the United States and India, helping to foster further interactions
between Americans and Indians on a range of matters – education,
business, science, and trade – that enrich both nations’
cultures. Your efforts in the community, bringing people together,
guide our way in building a strong U.S.-India partnership.
I believe that the real measure of bilateral ties lies in people-to-people
and private sector interactions, and it’s very clear that
we in government are trying to catch up to the private sector in
U.S.-India relations.
We have tremendous and ever-growing people-to-people ties, and a
great part of this is the strength of our educational and cultural
ties. These kinds of ties are fostered by individuals, but they
have lasting impact. Every time a young Indian comes to the United
States to study or work, for example, we see these ties strengthen.
The rate of legal immigrants from India who become American citizens
has increased from 56 percent in 1995 to 65 percent today. That
is a remarkable statistic. It means that two-thirds decide not simply
to live here as permanent residents, but to take that next step
of allegiance to the United States. I think there is no question
that the United States is better off as a result.
Students from India come here to learn, and end up becoming leaders
in their fields and changing American life – people like Rajat
Gupta, or Indra Nooyi, or the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla.
Duke University did a study on Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and
found that one out of seven start ups had an Indian founder or co-founder.
I have visited Hyderabad – and hope to visit Bangalore –
and have witnessed the business and personal links that tie the
U.S. and Indian high technology sectors together. These kinds of
ties serve as a driving force in the growing American and Indian
partnership. And they serve as a challenge to government. We are
trying to meet that challenge by establishing stronger and more
durable U.S.-India ties across a range of areas.
President Bush and Prime Minister Singh have redoubled their predecessors’
efforts on what our two countries can achieve together. Cooperation
between our two governments has risen to unprecedented levels in
the history of our bilateral relations. In the last few years, we
have launched important initiatives in areas including education,
agriculture, clean energy, counter-terrorism, space research, and
economic development. We are working on civil-nuclear cooperation,
as I’m sure you are aware, and all of us in government are
deeply grateful for the strong support the Indian-American community
has shown for this initiative. I believe in the civil nuclear deal
and I hope we will see it completed very soon.
Secretary Paulson’s recent trip to India underscored the
rapid pace of cooperation, collaboration, and innovation between
the private sectors in the United States and India. He is working
on a major infrastructure initiative that would harness the private
sectors in India and the United States to help build what India
needs. Expanding our engagement on all levels of government, civil
society, and the private sector will encourage India’s emergence
as a positive force on the world scene.
I have said many times that India’s rise to power is undeniably
in the interests of the United States. India is a multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural, secular, and democratic nation known for freedom
and the rule of law. The United States is also multi-ethnic, multi-cultural,
secular, and democratic, known for freedom and the rule of law.
Both of our countries value the importance of cultural differences
within a nation. This philosophical value, celebrated and understood
by all, like the myriad versions of the Ramayana, makes India and
the United States better able to understand one another. From my
perspective, that makes the relationship between India and the United
States, the world’s largest and oldest democracies, a natural
fit.
So on the occasion of Diwali, we celebrate not only the triumph
of good, but also an epic that can be many different things but
always one story. This can inspire us to celebrate our sense of
unity and community in diversity, and our commitment to cross-cultural
understanding. And it should inspire us to build anew the extraordinary
partnership between India and the United States.
Again, thank you all for being here today. I wish you and your
families a happy Diwali!
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