Official date for Deepavali is Nov. 10 – Minister Ramjattan
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, is maintaining that he will not relent on his position that November 10 will be a public holiday to celebrate the Hindu festival of Deepavali.
Minister of National Security Khemraj Ramjattan
Ramjattan’s announcement comes amidst confusion among Hindu groups on the official date of the Festival of Lights. According to Ramjattan, his decision was arrived at following consultations with various authorities on the subject, both locally and abroad. In explaining how he arrived at his decision, Minister Ramjattan in a statement issued last evening said that he received a letter dated June 16, 2015 informing him that based on the zodiac constellations in the Hindu Calendar (Drik Panchang), the correct date for Deepavali is November 10, 2015 and not November 11, 2015 as shown on certain calendars. This letter was written by a respected and well known Pandit Rabindranath Persaud, (Ravi), Head of the Hindu Organization called the Viraat Sahba. This letter also informed him that at a meeting held on June 4, 2015, at the Guyana Pandits Council, senior Pandits and Mandir leaders approved November 10, 2015 as the rightful date for the observation of this Hindu Festival of Lights. The Minister said that apart from the signature of Pandit Ravi, other senior Hindu representatives attached their signatures at the end of that letter, namely, Swami Shivashan Karananda of the Guyana Seevashram Sangha of Cove and John, Pandit Rudra Sharma of the Guyana Pandits Council, Pandit Maneshwar Sawh of Gandhi Youth Organization, among others. “I sought justification as to why the date which Pandit Ravi claimed was the rightful date. I was then sent a letter from Pandit Ramdial Balbadar, President of the Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits Sabha – Region Three, setting out the reasons why the 10th November, 2015 is Deepavali in Guyana,” Ramjattan stated. By this time he had learnt that the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, headed by Dr. Vindhya Persaud, was the other Hindu Organization which was arguing the case for November 11, 2015, and not November 10, 2015 as the date for Deepavali. Ramjattan said that he decided that it was necessary that he share the contention of the Viraat Sabha with Dr. Vindhya Persaud. He said that he requested that Dr. Persaud respond to Pandit Ramdial Balbadar, and for her to justify why it was November 11, 2015 and not November 10, 2015. Dr. Persaud responded by letter dated September 4, 2015 and presented a full case in support of her position. “I then requested Pandit Balbadar to reply to what Dr. Vindyha Persaud canvassed. He did so by letter dated September 30, 2015… I then naturally deliberated on the contending positions.” According to Minister Ramjattan it does appear, upon a distillation of what the core issue is that the primary question is: When is the period of Amavasya here in Guyana? Both contending factions agree that Deepavali must be called during this period of Amavasya. It is regarded as the darkest period and as is well known that is the reason for the Festival of Lights. “Pleasantly surprising to me on this issue, both sides agreed that Amavasya commences as at 11:35 a.m on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 and ends at Wednesday 1:47 p.m November 11, 2015. “Now if Amavasya ends on Wednesday 11th at around 1:47 in the afternoon, it necessarily means the New Moon will begin immediately after this time and therefore the evening time, say 6.00 p.m. of Wednesday, November 11, cannot be the darkest night or that period within Amavasya. It most certainly is outside of it by some four hours even as admitted by Dr Vindyha Persaud in her submission to me,” Ramjattan declared. The Minister said that since Amavasya commences at 11:35 a.m on November 10, then the only night, which falls during this Amavasya period, is the night of November 10. This night then should be the night for the Festival of Lights, and not the night of November 11. Ramjattan said, to shore up this opinion, he sought the views of some other knowledgeable Pandits. “I received a note from the very prominent and authoritative Swami Aksharananada. I wish to quote Swamiji: ‘Please note that according to the Panchangs I have consulted, Amavasya of Kartika 2015 will last from around 11.35 a.m. on Tuesday November 10 to 1:55 pm on Wednesday, November 11. It means that Lakshmi Puja to mark Diwali must be on the appropriate muhurta within this time slot. To do this Lakshmi Puja during the evening of Wednesday, November 11, will mean in essence celebrating Diwali on Pratipada. The gist of the problem is that some people are conflating the lunar tithi with the solar day. The two do not necessarily coincide. I hope this helps!’” Ramjattan said that he is aware that Trinidad and Tobago has roughly the same situation as in Guyana. He said he then contacted an associate in that country to request of the powerful Hindu Leader Pandit Sat Maraj to find out what was their computation. The communication he received was that Tuesday November 10 is when Deepavali will be celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister said that a number of Pandits all across the country have signed on to petitions urging that he makes the call for November 10. The President of the Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindyha Persaud did, by telephone call, communicate to me her disappointment at my declaring Deepavali on November 10. I indicated to her I had very good reasons to declare that date and will not relent. So the November 10, 2015 it shall be.” “I am the Minister empowered to declare public holidays under the Public Holidays Act Cap 19:07. I as a result, on Thursday, October 15, 2015 signed on to an Order declaring November 10, 2015 as Deepavali Day, a National Public Holiday.
