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Diwali stamp in the US: Odyssey generations will remember
It all began when in 2010 I thought of having Diwali recognized by getting a Diwali stamp released in the US.
Unveiling of the Diwali Stamp. / Ranju Batra
My seven-year journey for our Diwali Stamp succeeded on Oct. 5, 2016, when the United States Postal Service (USPS) a postage stamp released a stamp commemorating Diwali at the Indian consulate in New York. It was heartwarming to see every Indian being proud of the stamp. It was a pivotal moment in the acknowledgment of South Asian cultures within the broader American landscape.
Let me tell you the story about my journey. Many years ago, when my kids in school, we celebrated all religious holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Eid; but there was no American celebration on Diwali.
It all began when in 2010 I thought of having Diwali recognized by getting a Diwali stamp released in the US. I spoke to many community leaders and I was told that many had tried, and had given up. I decided to focus on getting the Diwali stamp and not stop until I achieved my objective.
My husband, Ravi, backed me fully during the tough years of my journey. My kids stood outside supermarkets with me to get signatures. I spent nearly seven years chasing the dream peacefully, and using only inclusive and respectful means.
I sent out tens of thousands of petitions. It was a tedious job. But for me they were messages of peace. Wherever I went, I would ask people to sign the petition. I stopped the online petitions as I was told by the Postal Service that “stamps don’t go on emails”.
I collected signatures and addresses everywhere, be it at lunches, dinners, restaurants and stores and started to mail signed petitions on a weekly basis.
I partnered with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, had meetings with USPS in Washington, and got many members of Congress to support the Diwali stamp House Resolutions. I received support from Indians as well as people from every faith and religion.
Many UN ambassadors and their families signed the paper petitions I designed including, Hardeep Singh Puri, currently a minister in the Indian government, Ambassador Lakshmi Puri, Mayor de Blasio, Controller Scott Stringer, Grace Meng, Yvette Clarke, Shiv Dass, Nita Jain, Surinder Kathuria, and many others. Members of the media kept this journey alive for all of us!
Along the way we held many meetings, and organised press conferences to drum up support. So much so, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay wrote a poem, the official poem of the Diwali Stamp Project:
“Towards Diwali Stamp.”
Brighten up the World
Light up the Nearest Lamp
Stamp out Clouds of Darkness
Bring in the Diwali Stamp.
I sought support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama. Modi’s message on Diwali in 2016 included a small video of our unveiling the Diwali Stamp in the consulate.
To all of them I say: Thank you, and we did it together, the peoples’ movement won! The strength of the Indian-American community was visible because we were united behind the cause.
Even William Gicker, Director of Stamp Development, said: “This was the biggest push, the most people writing in, and it was the volume of petitions, and not the high-profile support, that swayed the committee. And with that USPS gave into the long pending demands of Indian-American community in the United States.”
And then I succeeded in making history for the United States Postal Service, with Air India supporting my Diwali Stamp Project's exclusive pre-sale efforts--in 10 days I sold over 170,000 stamps for Day One, in the course making Diwali Stamp the #1 stamp, the best seller in USPS history.
While my journey took seven years, the Diwali stamp is here forever. Now, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists have a stamp to call their own.
For over a billion Indians in India, for over four million Indian-Americans, and for many more around the world, the festival of lights is here.
My spirits are uplifted,
and from this year forward
Diyas will shine brighter!
The author is the Chair of the Diwali Foundation USA.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)
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