Posted on 11/14/2004 8:25:23 PM PST by CarrotAndStick
SYDNEY: The governments of Australia and New Zealand joined the resident Indian community in celebrating Diwali by illuminating their parliament houses in a rare gesture.
In Australia, the northern façade of the gigantic parliament building at Canberra was illuminated at an impressive function Saturday. The Australian Parliament House would be illuminated for three nights.
In Wellington, capital of New Zealand, it was Prime Minister Helen Clark who lit the traditional lamp to inaugurate the first ever Diwali function to be celebrated in parliament house. Clark had visited India only last month.
At the Canberra illumination, around 1,000 people attended the event which was inaugurated by Senator Gary Humphries by lighting a traditional lamp. The Liberal senator was representing the Australian Prime Minister John Howard who is on an overseas trip. Senator Joe Ludwig represented the opposition leader Mark Latham.
"The illumination of the Federal Parliament to celebrate Diwali represents acceptance of Hinduism as a major religious denomination in Australia," A Bala Subramanium, head of the Hindu Council of Australia, said on Sunday. The Hindu Council has organised the illumination.
A number of other parliament buildings have also been illuminated for the first time to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
The exterior of the oldest parliament building in the region, New South Wales (NSW) Parliament House, has also been lit for Diwali. This is the first time the NSW Parliament House has been illuminated for any occasion.
The legislative house building of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has joined the growing list of parliament and legislative assembly buildings to be illuminated for the purpose.
Across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand, the historic Town Hall in Auckland and the Parliament House in Wellington have also organised events to mark Diwali.
A number of cultural events marked the occasion. While Sydney's well-known Indian classical dance artiste Raghvan Nair gave a presentation of his "Ram-Lila", a troupe of Bhangra folk dancers, aptly named "Rangla Punjab" impressed the audience with their scintillating oeuvre.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Clark said: "The Indian community is of long standing in New Zealand and it is wonderful to see the celebration of Diwali becoming a significant event in New Zealand's cultural calendar."
"I have just returned from a very exciting visit to India - the first New Zealand prime minister to go there in almost 20 years," she said.
"New Zealand and India have traditionally had a close relationship, and I want to see these ties grow even stronger. I acknowledge the efforts and dedication of Indians to making a new life and contributing to New Zealand society," Clark was quoted as saying.
Nobody asked us.
BTTT
as long as its not a christian thing, the ACLU won't mind
Wouldn't be an issue here anyway - our government is quite free to acknowledge religious issues on an equal basis.
Personally I don't see much problem with this - I would if Christian expression wasn't allowed, but I'm fairly happy to see any other significant faith acknowledged.
There must be lots of things that make sense in countries where their toilet-whirlpools spin backwards from ours...
Odd that this is a religious holiday.
Growing up in India as a hindu, Diwali was more about eating a lot of special food, lighting the homes, exchanging gifts and getting together with family. I do not recall many religious rituals during this holiday period.
This gesture by our Government doesn't bother this Aussie one little bit.
This is a problem pelicular to the United States. As a self-described American expert I understand their major civil liberties organization (ACLU) vigorously opposes putting anything that could be interpreted as associated with Christian/Christendom culture with public oney. But the organization is silent if it is about Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism, or any other thing.
Of course this is why our American friends are so testy when they see these things - because they are having exactly that problem: public Christian expression suppressed while not for any other religion.
What is your opinion on Islam and Muslims.?
Of course the American Civil Liberties Union doesn't mind.
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