Hindu students in Ohio will get a holiday on Diwali. Along with this, they will be able to take holidays on two other festivals in a school year. The bill co-sponsored by Indian American Senator Neeraj Antani was passed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Antani said that this is a wonderful moment for Hindus in Ohio. It has become the first state in America to give every student a holiday on Diwali. He said that apart from this, Hindu students will be able to take two other religious holidays. For this, they will have many options.

Diwali will be celebrated on 20 and 21 October 

Under this, Gujarati Hindu students will be able to take leave for Navratri (Annakoot), BAPS devotees Pramukh Swami Maharaj Jayanti, Swaminarayan devotees Hari Jayanti, Telugu students Ugadi, Tamil students Pongal, Bengali Hindu students Durga Puja, Punjabi Hindu students Lohri and ISKCON devotees Krishna Janmashtami. According to the Ohio Department of Education, October 20 and 21 have been fixed as the dates for Diwali in 2025.

During this, Antani said, 'Because of this law, which I have co-sponsored, every Hindu student in Ohio will be able to take a school holiday on Diwali starting in 2025. This is an incredible victory for Hindus in Ohio. This makes us the first state in American history to give every student a school holiday as a Diwali holiday.'

There will be an option to take leave on these festivals too

He further added, 'Also, our law is ahead of any other school district in the country in so far as it allows taking 2 other religious holidays. This means a Gujarati Hindu student can take a day off for Navratri or Annakut. A BAPS devotee can take leave for Pramukh Swami Maharaj Jayanti. A Swaminarayan devotee can take leave for Hari Jayanti. A Telugu Hindu student can take leave for Ugadi. A Tamil Hindu student can take leave for Pongal. A Bengali Hindu student can take leave for Durga Puja. A Punjabi Hindu student can take leave for Lohri. An ISKCON devotee can take leave for Krishna Janmashtami.'

"I remember as a child it was not possible to stay up late for dandiya during Navratri days. This will no longer be a problem for any Hindu child in Ohio," Antani said. This bill requires parents to send a signed letter to the school principal informing them of the religious holidays the student takes. The signed letter must be sent to the principal within 14 days of the first day of the school year. The principal must approve the days off. Ohio is setting an example for the rest of the country of how schools can ensure that all students can fully practice their religion without fear of negative academic consequences.