US vice president Kamala Harris on Monday recollected her fond memories of celebrating Diwali in India as she addressed a gathering of more than 200 eminent Indian Americans at a White House Diwali reception hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. (Also Read | Biden hosts biggest Diwali reception ever at White House)
“I have such fond memories of celebrating Diwali as a child. Like many of you, we would go to India about every other year, avoiding the monsoon season, and we would go for Diwali. I have such fond memories of waking up in the middle of the night, me and my sister Maya, and going, of course, to the eldest in our family, which was our grandfather,” she recalled.
“And later in the day, my mother would give us little sparklers and we would go into the streets to celebrate this very important occasion.”
The US vice-president described Diwali as a “holiday of hope” and said the festival helps one to see light in the world, in each other and in oneself.
“We also are reminded to shine our light in the darkness to fight for peace, for justice, for understanding.”
“Even as powerful forces work to sow hate and divide, we remember that in these moments where we see darkness, our light shines the brightest. That is part of what reminds us of Diwali. In moments of darkness, we see the light,” she said.
On Friday, Harris hosted more than 100 Indian Americans at her US Naval Observatory residence for Diwali celebrations.
Biden also recollected the Diwali reception he had hosted at the Vice President’s Naval Observatory in late November 2016.
“It was the first Diwali reception ever to be held there. I’m an Irish Catholic and opening our home for holidays, observed by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs… that night we were joined by Muslims, Christians and people representing diversity and diaspora here in America from all over the world, including the then newly elected Indian American members of Congress, two of whom are here today, Ro (Khanna) and Raja (Krishnamoorthi),” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
