Diwali at NSW Parliament
Virginia Judge (Minister for Fiar Trading and Minister for the Arts) hosts the Diwali celebration at the NSW Parliament.
Since 2003, the Diwali celebrations at the New South Wales Parliament have grown in significance and stature, but this year was a special one. Even as Parliament House remained lit up during the Festival of Lights in acknowledgement of the valued contribution of the Indian community to Australian cultural life, NSW Premier Kristina Keneally announced the Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards to recognise volunteer work and community service.
Welcoming guests and wishing all a “Shubh Deepavali” on behalf of the NSW government, Parliamentary host MP Virginia Judge said, “Deepavali is a festival that promotes the sharing of knowledge and values which enrich our lives. This festival celebrates springtime, the renewal of life and the light of wisdom in pursuing a better future.”
(We’ve grown accustomed to seeing the Indophile Virginia Judge clad in a beautifully wrapped sari, and have often wondered how many she owns – she picked a bright Bollywood red number this year, all ‘auspicious’).
The celebrations, held on November 11, commenced with the chanting of Vedic hymns and the lighting of the traditional lamp by Parliamentarians, including the NSW Premier, Amit Dasgupta (Consul General of India in Sydney), Deepak Khadka (Consul General of Nepal), the President of Legislative Council of NSW Amanda Fazio and the Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, MP Richard Torbay.
Said Premier Keneally, “It is on nights like this that we can truly appreciate the incredible opportunity of living in Sydney, in a society that is a global advertisement for the benefits of diversity, and the joys of it. Events like Deepavali enrich our cultural life and inspire us to create even broader celebrations like Parramasala, which has been a huge success and enjoyed by Western Sydney families of all cultural and spiritual backgrounds. Parramasala adds yet another layer to the rich calendar of events, celebrations and festivals which has seen Sydney recently named as the Best Festival and Major Event City in the World.”
“Our diversity and the wealth of experiences it brings, is a key reason why Sydney has, for a remarkable nine years in a row, been named the Best City in the World by readers of travel and leisure magazines,” she added.
Premier Keneally also announced that the NSW Government will host the Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards to recognise volunteer work and community service in the NSW Indian subcontinent community. The inaugural awards presentation will be held in early 2011 and will be organised by the Community Relations Commission. Nominations will be sought from Australians of Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Pakistani and Sri Lankan backgrounds from early December.
“The awards will recognise the role of the Indian Subcontinent community in NSW’s professional, philanthropic, business and cultural life,” said Ms Keneally. “These awards send a clear message about the importance of the Indian subcontinent community to the State of NSW.”
The evening gala continued with a classical dance performance by the Bharatnatyam Dance Academy, followed by a performance from the Geetanjali Dance Academy.
Highlighting the theme of this year’s Diwali celebrations, Chairperson of the Deepavali Festival Committee of NSW Raj Datta said, “Celebrating Deepavali is celebrating unity in diversity. Each year we have a festival theme which focuses on certain values that, we believe, can make Australia a better place for all. The theme for this year is “Living Australian”. We share commonalities despite our differences in heritage, and we believe in the values that make us Australian, which includes an aspiration to promote social equity, equality, compassion, decency and a sense of responsibility.”
Others dignitaries who attended the celebrations included Member for Western Sydney David Borger, Member for Liverpool Paul Lynch, Member for Auburn Barbara Perry, Member for Toongabbie Nathan Rees, Member for Macquarie Fields Dr Andrew McDonald, and Member for Canterbury Linda Burney, as well as members of the Legislative Council, Peter Primrose, John Robertson, John Hatzistergos and community leaders.
The celebrations concluded with an energetic performance by the Ministry of Bhangra that had guests tapping their feet to Punjabi beats.
Mamta Sharma
