,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #bgg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october  
#cj1 #bjac,mr4 ,warner 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 and ,mr4  
,coons7 submitted the following         
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on the ,judiciary            
,,resolution  ,recognizing the religious
 and historical significance of the     
festival of ,diwali4  ,whereas ,diwali  
is a festival of great significance and 
celebrated annually by ,hindus1 ,sikhs1 
and ,jains throughout ,india1 the       
,united ,states1 and the world2 ,whereas
 ,diwali is a festival of lights that   
marks the beginning of the ,hindu new   
year1 during which celebrants light and 
place small lamps around the home and   
pray for health1 knowledge1 peace1      
wealth1 and prosperity in the new year2 
,whereas ,diwali will be celebrated     
throughout the world for five days and  
is an opportunity to celebrate the faith
 of all people and the universal right  

to religious expression and spiritual   
freedom2 ,whereas the lights symbolize  
the light of knowledge within the       
individual that overwhelms the darkness 
of ignorance1 empowering each celebrant 
to do good deeds and show compassion to 
others2 ,whereas ,diwali falls on the   
last day of the last month in the lunar 
calendar and is celebrated as a day of  
thanksgiving for the homecoming of the  
,lord ,rama and worship of ,lord        
,ganesha1 the remover of obstacles and  
bestower of blessings1 at the beginning 
of the new year for many ,hindus2       
,whereas1 for ,sikhs1 ,diwali is        
celebrated as ,bandhi ,chhor ,diwas     
7,the ,celebration of ,freedom71 in     
honor of the release from imprisonment  
of the sixth guru1 ,guru ,hargobind2 and
 ,whereas1 for ,jains1 ,diwali marks the
 anniversary of the attainment of       
moksha1 or liberation1 by ,mahavira1 the
 last of the ,tirthankaras 7the great   
teachers of ,jain dharma71 at the end of
 his life in #ebg ,b4,c43 ,now1         

therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 recognizes the religious and       
historical significance of the festival 
of ,diwali1 the festival of lights1 and 
expresses its respect for the people of 
,india1 ,indian ,americans1 and members 
of the ,indian diaspora around the world
 on this significant occasion2 and  7#b7
 supports a strong relationship between 
the people and governments of the       
,united ,states and ,india1 based on    
mutual trust and respect that will      
enable the countries to more closely    
collaborate across a broad spectrum of  
interests1 such as global peace and     
prosperity4