San Ramon, CA. HinduPACT today expressed deep concern over a California court ruling that struck down parts of the state’s recently enacted Diwali holiday legislation, less than a year after California formally recognized the festival.
The law represented an important step toward acknowledging the religious and cultural lives of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist communities across the state. It allowed eligible state employees to use paid leave to observe Diwali and gave public schools and community colleges the option to close for the festival.
For Hindu families, the ruling is more than a legal setback. It threatens a hard-won measure of equal recognition and sends a painful message to a community that has long sought the same dignity and accommodation afforded to other faith traditions.
“Diwali is one of the most sacred and widely observed festivals for Hindus, and its recognition in California affirmed that American Hindus are an integral part of the state’s social and cultural fabric,” said Ajay Shah, Founder and Chair of HinduPACT. “This ruling is deeply disappointing because it weakens a meaningful step toward fairness, inclusion, and religious accommodation. HinduPACT will work with community leaders, legal experts, lawmakers, and allied organizations to help restore these protections and ensure that Hindu voices are heard.”
HinduPACT emphasized that the legislation did not impose a universal mandatory paid holiday. Rather, it provided eligible state employees with the ability to use paid leave and permitted public schools and community colleges to close in observance of Diwali.
HinduPACT will continue to monitor the legal developments, support appropriate legislative and legal remedies, and mobilize the Hindu American community in defense of equal recognition and religious freedom.