Members of the Hindu community from across the UK joined Members of Parliament and the Speaker of the House of Commons to celebrate the festival of Diwali in the Speaker’s House. The cross-party event, which was co-hosted by Navendu Mishra MP, Shailesh Vara MP and Virendra Sharma MP alongside Mr Speaker, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, is the first of its kind to take place under Hoyle’s speakership.
To mark the festival, attendees in the Speaker’s State Rooms were joined by a Hindu priest who lit a traditional lamp - a key part of the festival, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. The MPs and Peers were joined by key figures from the Hindu community. The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, was unable to attend as he was taking part in COP26 in Glasgow but a Diwali message from him was read out by Mr Vara. Similarly, Mr Mishra read out a message from the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, the Leader of the Opposition, who is self-isolating as he has Covid-19. Mr Speaker, the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP has said: “My warm greetings to everyone who will be celebrating the festival of Diwali this year – it is an absolute honour to mark the occasion in Speaker’s House. “It is so important that we recognise and join in the celebration of this Festival of Lights with our parliamentary community and friends with the merriment and gladness that it brings.”
Navendu Mishra MP commented: “It was a pleasure to co-host the first Diwali event held under the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP’s speakership in the Speaker’s House in the House of Commons. I hope this will be a step in raising greater awareness about the festivals Hindu and Sikh communities celebrate. “I am truly grateful to Mr Speaker for understanding the importance of Diwali and allowing us to celebrate this occasion in the State Rooms. The festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance, which truly resonates with the ideals of our Parliament.”
Shailesh Vara MP added: “It’s good that we were able to physically celebrate Diwali again, and especially in the magnificent setting of the Speaker’s State Rooms. Tuesday 2nd November The significance of Diwali, the triumph of good over evil, is as important today as it has been through the ages. That message of hope extends to triumphing over the dark shadow of the pandemic. As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, we must maintain hope and faith that ultimately good will triumph.”
Virendra Sharma MP said: “Co-hosting Diwali, the most important of all the Hindu festivals, in Parliament was an important moment of unity across politics. We have celebrated Diwali in Parliament before, but to hold this in the Speaker's House and the State Apartments was very special indeed. The dedication and hard work Hindu and Sikh communities have shown this country for hundreds of years, but especially in the last two years, responding to Covid19 has been inspiring. I look forward to further celebrations, and marking this key festival yearly. As the nights grow longer the message of light and of the triumph of good is more important than ever. Happy Diwali.”
The catering for the event was sponsored by SBI UK.
