Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:36am on 10 Nov 2026,Tuesday India Global
Five Indian-American lawmakers are among 19 US representatives backing the reintroduced Diwali Day Act, which seeks to designate Diwali a federal holiday. Introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng in the House of Representatives, the bipartisan proposal has received support from Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam, Shri Thanedar, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera. Meng said federal recognition would acknowledge the festival’s cultural and religious significance and signal inclusion for Hindu and other South Asian communities. She also cited concerns over anti-Hindu and anti-South Asian hate, including vandalism at Hindu places of worship, an attempted mass shooting at an Illinois temple and disruption of a Diwali celebration in Washington State.
