Barack Obama unveils Diwali gift in the US

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has approved an official postage stamp for the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali, to be marked worldwide on October 30.

According to Inder Singh, executive member of Gopio (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) International in the US, the US Postal Service announced on August 23 that it had issued a stamp to mark the annual festival for more than a million Americans of Indian origin.

“The stamp has been printed as a ‘forever’ stamp that will be issued at the beginning of October in advance of the Diwali festival,” said Singh.

Newly appointed Gopio life member Marlan Padayachee said the recognition of Diwali and the issuing of an official stamp was a tribute to the contribution of people of Indian origin to the US.

“This is a progressive move by the White House administration and in keeping with the high diplomatic relations President Obama enjoys with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Padayachee added: “The Diwali stamp is more than an ordinary item to be linked to an envelope, it’s a stamp of approval of everything Indian about the ancient festival that symbolises the eclipse of darkness to light and it underlines the strengthening of relations, trade and co-operation between the world’s largest democracies.”