NYC mayor urges people to ‘live in the spirit’ of Lord Ram, Sita, Deepavali as communities grapple with hate crimes

The Deepavali celebration came just a week after the decision to declare the festival of lights a public holiday in New York City public schools

As communities grapple with hate crimes and darkness, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has urged people to “live in the spirit” of Lord Ram, Sita and Deepavali and be the “beacon of light” and hope each day of the year.

“There's too much darkness. We have been engulfed in the desire to just find places we disagree,” he said on Tuesday, giving a clarion call to people and communities "to live true to what Deepavali represents".

“Let's live in the spirit of Ram, let's live in the spirit of Sita. Let's live in the spirit of Deepavali. Let's live up to what this holiday represents and then we will know that we have fulfilled our responsibility and obligation,” Mr. Adams said, as he wished Happy Deepavali to a large gathering of prominent members of the Indian-American, South Asian and other communities at a Deepavali celebration hosted at his official residence.

“It is time for us to live up to Deepavali, to sit down and communicate, to push back against hate crimes against Sikhs, against AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander], against those of the LGBTQ+ communities, against African Americans, Latinos, Irish and Jewish and Polish and all the other groups that make this city. We need to be the beacon of light that shows the country how we need to push away darkness,” he told the gathering of over 1,100 people.

Joined by India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal, prominent Indian-origin lawmakers — including Kevin Thomas who was elected in 2018 to represent the 6th District in Nassau County, becoming the first Indian-American in New York history to serve in the State Senate — and New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, Mr. Adams underlined the importance of celebrating the message of Deepavali every day and not just on the day of the festival.

“If we only celebrate the pushing of darkness away for one day, then we are betraying the principles of Deepavali. It is every day that we must live at that magnitude and at that height,” he said.

“My Sikh brothers and sisters” feed thousands of people in their Gurdwaras regardless of the peoples' religion and faith, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Adams said.