Rohan comes home from school and asks - Mom: "When is Diwali this year?" or Jane in Rohan's class asks "Hey Rohan, what is Diwali and why do you light candles for it".....growing up in America, these are the questions Indian American and Hindu kids face in school on a ongoing basis. And while the panchang (Hindu calendar) is great, it doesn't explain the holiday and isn't something you can share in a classroom. So, the Hindu American Foundation did something about it. HAF created a brand new calendar called Dharmic Days and Hindu Holidays , a guide to religious accommodation. This guide tells the date of major holidays observed by Hindus and devotees of other Dharmic faiths for the next three years. Along with the dates, also included are brief explanations of the significance for each day. Also provided is further learning by including additional reading materials, listing ways people can participate, and ways to respect the holiday and the various ways people observe. It's a resource for everyone. Last, but not least, the calendar guide isn’t just for Hindus and followers of dharmic faiths. It’s meant for anyone—educators, employers, interfaith leaders, friends, family, or anyone wanting to know a little more about Hindu traditions.
Given what a wonderful guide and excellent piece of work HAF has done, Kumu Gupta approached the US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona with the proposal to include this calendar as a resource and guide to raise awareness of the Hindu culture and holidays in the school systems across America, especially since it was free to download. The response was as follows:
"Education is primarily the responsibility of States and local governments and the Department of Education Organization Act prohibits the Department from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system...except to the extent authorized by law."
And
" As the liaison to the private school faith-based communities, including religiously affiliated schools, we appreciate that you shared this with us. Please know that we will keep this in mind as we schedule activities that impact the communities we serve."
Ms. Gupta has also written to the MA Secretary of Education on the same and request's all Hindu parents to write to the schools in their local cities and towns to propose including this wonderful resource in their children's classes.
Credit: materials for this article were taken from Hindu American Foundation.
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