Our Bureau
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta’s Mayor, the Honourable Andre Dickens in a historic, first-of-its-kind event, joined the Hindu American community in a Diwali celebration and dinner. The event brought together a veritable who’s who of the Atlanta Hindu Community along with the Consul General of India, L Ramesh Babu.
The event organized by CoHNA, also marked the culmination of the various Hindu Heritage Month celebrations in the state, following Governor Kemp’s early proclamation. The Mayor of Atlanta addressed the gathering and recognized the role played by the Indian community.
“It is undeniable that Atlanta is stronger and better thanks to the many international communities that we have here and that individuals have made Atlanta their home. The South Asian and Indian communities make an incredible impact on Atlanta’s culture, and Atlanta’s economy,” He said.
The Mayor also referred to the special place Mahatma Gandhi had in the civil rights movement. He concluded, “So just as Gandhi was a guiding light to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I wish you all a bright evening of festivities and a wonderful Diwali celebration.”
The new Consul general of India in Atlanta, Sri Ramesh Babu thanked the Mayor for the first-of-its-kind event to celebrate Diwali in Atlanta while highlighting the close ties between the two countries. He described Diwali as an occasion to strengthen the contact between the various cultures that enrich Atlanta.
“We all know that India and the United States enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of cooperation in human endeavor. So, it is driven by shared democratic values between India and USA and convergence of all the issues. And one of the most important parts of the India-US relationship is a vibrant people-to-people contact,” he added.
Vice President of CoHNA, Rajeev Menon thanked the Mayor and the Consul General. The event was attended by other local leaders including State representatives Solomon Adesanya and Mesha Mainor, Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson, and former City Council president, Felicia Moore, as per the release.
“This is a major milestone in the history of Atlanta,” said CoHNA Board member Suresh Krishnamoorthy. “For the first time, we have recognition of an important festival for Hindu Americans from the Mayor of Atlanta. CoHNA plans to continue the outreach to political leadership in the Atlanta area and advocate for Hindu American Causes”
“Georgia and Atlanta have been at the forefront of recognizing Hindu American community, being the first to recognize Hinduphobia in the Assembly, the Governor’s proclamation of October as Hindu Heritage Month, and now the Mayor’s Diwali Dinner,” said Rajeev Menon. “We expect to continue to build on this relationship going forward to forge stronger ties with the political leaders and the Hindu American diaspora”
As per the release, CoHNA is a grassroots-level advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition.
