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Public
Employee Press Local 375 members
celebrate Indias Festival of Lights Local 375 celebrated the Indian festival of Diwali Nov.
18 at its delegates meeting.
Hundreds of members enjoyed a traditional
Indian meal and cultural presentation as they marked the Festival of Lights, which
symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
The traditional
lamp lit at Diwali celebrations is a symbol of goodness, generosity and togetherness.
As they lit the lamp, Diwali Committee Chair Hasmukh Modi and Local 375 President
Claude Fort were accompanied by committee members, local leaders and the honored
guest, Deputy Commissioner of the Dept. of Design and Contruction Vidnod Devgam,
a former member.
Remove the darkness of ignorance, Modi said
as he led a prayer. He appealed for solidarity among local members.
Devgam
described the festival as an opportunity to reaffirm hope and friendship, and
Fort noted that Diwali is one of most widely celebrated holidays in the world
today.
Before members enjoyed the program of Indian music and dance, Modi
introduced the Local 375 Diwali committee and thanked them for helping plan the
event. The members include Pradeep Desai and Shirish Patel (Dept. of Design and
Construction), Dipak Shah and Janak Patel (New York City Transit), Leela Maret
and Bobby Shaw (Dept. of Environmental Protection) and Vishnu Sharma (Housing
Authority).
Local 375 Secretary Ahmed Shakir, an adviser to the committee,
said the occasion offered an opportunity for people to unite in the face of difficult
times.
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