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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-14 Daily Xml
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Motions

Diwali Festival

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. R.P. Wortley:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the Diwali festival which will run from 5 to 9 November and especially the main celebrations of the third day which will take place on 7 November;

2. Recognises the deep importance of Diwali to the Indian community of South Australia and especially those of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths;

3. Recognises the importance of those of Indian descent in South Australia and their ongoing contributions to our great state;

4. Notes the important message of Diwali, which focuses on the triumph of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over dark;

5. Encourages all members of parliament to take the message of Diwali to heart and to ensure they strive to enlighten the world through their works and continue their fight against evil; and

6. Wishes those celebrating this festival a happy and safe Diwali.

(Continued from 17 October 2018.)

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:44): Today, I rise on behalf of the government to wholeheartedly support this motion. Diwali or Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions across the world. It falls on a different day each year in either October or November, as the date is determined by the observation of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most popular festivals in the world. Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists of Nepal, although for each faith it marks different historical events and stories. Nonetheless, the festival represents the same symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil.

Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated. The celebration of Diwali is one of the many cultural highlights that the Indian and Asian communities have brought to South Australia that are now generously shared and embraced by the wider South Australian community. Honourable members may be interested to know that Diwali is an official public holiday in 10 different countries, not counting India.

The Festival of Lights is celebrated in a big way in at least 25 nations by major Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist populations. In addition to India, countries that declared Diwali as a public holiday include Fiji, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Apart from the above, Diwali is also celebrated in a big way in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, the Sindh province of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Netherlands, Canada and Ireland.

Many members would know that I was born in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Deepavali, which is more commonly known in that region, is an official gazetted holiday. I have been celebrating the festival of light since I was a young child because many Indian families lived in the neighbourhood where I grew up. My Indian friends and their mums would dress me up in traditional Indian Punjabi suits or saris to attend Deepavali celebrations. I fondly remember those childhood days very well. It was such a privilege to spend time celebrating Deepavali at a young age, and I continue to do so now in my role as a member of parliament and as Assistant Minister to the Premier.

South Australia is incredibly fortunate to have an active and vibrant Indian community. It was fantastic seeing our state displayed in lights throughout the festive season, in particular between 5 and 9 November this year. Diwali is an auspicious occasion for the Indian community, and it marks five days of celebrations. For the Hindi community, the metaphoric meaning behind the lighting of the lamps is to illustrate that knowledge, which is the light, overrides ignorance, which is darkness, and that once the lights are lit all negative forces are driven away.

South Australia benefits from the many traditions within the Indian community. I would like to thank the Indian community for their commitment and leadership within the various community organisations. The community is growing rapidly. Adelaide has over 60 Indian community organisations, and in the last few weeks it has been a privilege to attend many Diwali celebrations around Adelaide with our wonderfully diverse Indian community groups.

It is a great honour to work very closely with the Premier as his assistant minister, particularly within the multicultural affairs portfolio. The Premier is passionate about advancing the interests of all South Australians and celebrating the cultural diversity and achievements of our multicultural communities. It was wonderful to welcome presidents and community leaders from over 50 Indian organisations to a Diwali reception hosted by the Premier, the Hon. Steven Marshall, on Monday 5 November 2018, which was the first day marking the beginning of Diwali celebrations this year.

The Diwali reception in Parliament House was very well received by community leaders, and it was a great opportunity for the Premier to express his heartfelt warm wishes on behalf of the government of South Australia. It was also an opportunity for the Premier to thank leaders of the Indian community for their leadership and contributions to the community groups they represent. As the master of ceremony of the Diwali reception, I had the great honour of welcoming the Consul General of India, Mr Bawitlung Vanlalvawna to join us at the Diwali reception in Parliament House.

In his speech, Mr Vanlalvawna mentioned that it was the first time the South Australian government had invited an Indian government official to a Diwali reception. He thanked the Premier and the community for fostering the relationship between the Consul General office of India and South Australia. The Consul General also highlighted the significant work the South Australian government has undertaken in recent months to strengthen the connections between South Australia and India. He said that it was a great start to many more collaborations to come, and he looked forward to working closely with the Marshall government.

During the reception, the Premier extended his warm wishes to the Indian community and gave a heartwarming message. I am delighted to take the opportunity to quote some of his words for the council today. He said:

May this year be as bright as ever, and bring much joy, health and prosperity to you and your loved ones…

As Premier, I am incredibly appreciative of our multicultural communities for the immense contributions they make, and for decorating our calendar with auspicious cultural and religious celebrations…

My government is incredibly supportive and proud of our multicultural society and we have a vision to build on South Australia's diversity…

Thank you to your community for contributing to our great state and for being a shining example for what makes our society great. Thank you for your commitment to your own community and for sharing your cultural traditions with the wider South Australian community. My colleagues and I are extremely grateful for the work that you do, and we look forward to celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, with you all…Happy Diwali everyone!

Community leaders and presidents who attended the Diwali reception in Parliament House praised the Premier for respecting the significance of Diwali and thanked the state government for their generous hospitality and the opportunity to share the joy of Diwali festivities in prestigious Parliament House. The Leader of the Opposition was also invited. It was great to see bipartisan support and we thank Mr Peter Malinauskas for attending the Diwali reception.

I would also like to extend special thanks to Sri Dilip Chirmuley AM, the Venerable Priest of Shri Ganesha Temple, Adelaide, for conducting the opening ceremony of prayers to officiate the blessings for the Diwali reception. The blessings certainly brightened up the Old Chamber of Parliament House.

I would like to acknowledge the support of Mr Norman Schueler, Chair of SAMEAC, and also Dr Sridhar Nannapaneni, who is one of the incredibly passionate and dedicated members of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission. Dr Nannapaneni is working very hard with the Indian community in South Australia and has attended countless multicultural community events and celebrations since being appointed to SAMEAC. Like all SAMEAC members, Dr Nannapaneni is doing a great job of increasing awareness and understanding of our state's unique diversity and its central importance to the social and economic future of South Australia.

I would like to highlight a number of Diwali celebrations across South Australia. First of all, the Hindu Council of Australia organised the biggest Diwali festival at the Wayville showgrounds on 20 October, which was attended by about 5,000 people from a range of cultures and ethnicities. This impressive event was then followed by Multicultural Diwali Mela, hosted by the Punjabi Association of South Australia in Civic Park, Modbury. Other organisations that arranged Diwali celebrations this year include the Sikh Society of South Australia, Telugu Association of South Australia, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple, Adelaide Tamil Association, Adelaide Malayalee Association and also the Indian Australia Association of South Australia.

I would like to reaffirm the Premier's appreciation of the Indian community for their enormous contribution to our great state. The Indian community is playing a key role in transforming trade, commerce and cultural exchanges in South Australia. I thank the honourable member for moving this motion, and on behalf of the government we support this motion wholeheartedly. It is a great opportunity to highlight how the Indian community of South Australia is playing an important role in forging new relationships and enriching our state's cultural life.

With those remarks, a very happy Diwali to everyone. May the millions of lamps brighten the lives of the Indian community and all South Australians with endless joy, prosperity and good health. May we all use this festive occasion to strive to do good to serve our community.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins.

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