Diwali Celebration 2015
Diwali festival was celebrated on 11th November 2015 at Krishna Mandar, Ravi road, Lahore. On this occasion Krishna Mandar and its adjacent buildings were decorated with colourful lights. The people of Hindu community celebrated the Diwali festival in their traditional way and offered religious rituals with zeal and fervor. Evacuee Trust Property Board Additional Secretary shrine Khalid Ali, Staff of Sir Ganga Ram Heritage Foundation, Chairman Pakistan Hindu welfare Council Munawar Chand. Hindu minority leader MNA Kanji Ram, Mehboob Shah Secretary Hilal-e-Ahmar and their volunteers along with representative of other religion were participated. Munawar Chand hosted the programme and welcomed all the guests. Diwali greeting flex banners of SGRHF were also displayed.
The ceremony started with the recitation of Holy Quran and National anthem was also sung. Representatives of different religions read verses from their sacred books i.e. Ramayan, Gurugranth, Bible etc which carried the message that there is interfaith harmony and all are brothers.
Dr. Munawar chand (President Hindu Welfare Council)
On behalf of Hindu community Dr Munawar Chand Welcome all the guests and briefly explained the background and history of Diwali (the festival of lights). Dewali commemorate the return of Ram Chandar along with sita and Lakshaman from his 14 year long exile and after defeating Ravan. In joyous celebration of the return of Ram Chandar the people illuminated the kingdom (Auyudiah) with igniting earthen lamps (oil lamps) and burst crackers and distributed sweets.
Sardar Baba Sham Singh (President Pakistan Gurdawara Sikh Parband Committee)
Sardar Sham Singh President Pakistan gurdawara Sikh Parband Committee, said today is the day of rejoicing which celebrated to mark the return of Ram Chandar Jee and he wish the Hindu community a Happy Diwali. He said I want to convey to modi’s government to see that in Pakistan people from all the religion and faith get together to celebrate Dewali festival. Mr modi you and your craziness have lost the Bihar election. Above all this Pakistan of Quid-e-Azam about which he said all citizen are equal and Pakistani will enjoy the freedom, rights and privilege and will play their rightful part in the affair of Pakistan and we respect the religion and faith of every one. Hindu Sikh and Muslims living in India are worried at the hand of modi government and we pray that they all get rid of modi government.
Sohail Raza (Minhaj-ul-Quran)
Sohail Raza from Minhaj-ul-Quran thanked Khalid Ali additional Secretary of Evacuee Trust property Board for the Diwali arrangements. He himself and behalf of Tahir-ul-Qadri wished Happy Diwali to all the Hindu community living in Pakistan and across the border. He said in Pakistan people belonging to different religions enjoy freedom of their faith without any restrictions Muslim brothers share their joys and celebrations. The religious books of Muslims, Sihk’s, Hindu’s and Parsis gives message of brotherhood and no religion accept terrorism. He said I want to convey to all those who keep an eye on us that here is freedom happiness everywhere in Pakistan. Due to this interfaith harmony we will fight terrorism.
Maulana Shafiq Sahib (Shia Community)
Today after participating in this Diwali festival one thing became clear that if someone wants to see the Pakistan of Quid-e-Azam, he should come to Krishana Mandir and see that how the people of different religions are together and one and which was the dream of Allama Iqbal and Quid-e-Azam. We want India to see that how we participating with Hindu’s in their joys and celebrations.
Priest Sardar chaman (Christian Council)
Today on this Occasion of joy of Hindu’s I wish them Happy Dewali. I have travelled throughout the world one thing which is noticeable in Pakistan is that all the people no matter to which faith they belong participate and share the happiness of each other.
Mehboob Shah (Secretary Hilal-e-Ahmar)
He wished Hindu community Happy Dewali and thanked Khalid Ali additional Secretary ETPB for the Dewali festival arrangements, which is a sign of love for Hindu’s.
Khalid Ali (Additional Secretary Shrine ETPB)
He greeted people according to their religions and told Dewali is just like Eid and its lasts for three days. He told that one year before Siddique-ul-Farooq Chairman ETPB took charge and took many constructive steps. One of them is the construction of 30 rooms hostel in Katas Raj with dining room and a big hall so that Hindu’s coming from across the border feel comfortable. Planning is going on to install chairlift apart from this tree plantation and construction of general washrooms is also going on. Katas Raj will be made an international park, the development work has started. 2500 Trees has been planted and our chairman has better plans for Hindu’s. He also mentioned that chairman visited twice at Lok Raj Mandir in Baluchistan and promised to make arrangements for filtered water and about this negotiation with the government are going on. He further said that sadh Belo Mandir in sukhur is an ancient Mandir of Hindu’s. The annual grant of this Mandir has been increased from 10 lac’s to 20 lac’s. The meeting regarding approval of rehabilitation of Prahladpuri Mandir in Multan was held in 14th October 2015 and renovation of the Mandir is planned. We have also planning to develop a Danish Type one school so that children of Hindu community can receive quality education. In Benazir School Hindi and Gurmukhi language classes has also started so people get the opportunity to learn these languages. Development and prosperity programmes in all the Mandir have started. Evacuee Trust Property Board is trying its utmost to make arrangements of all the Hindu festival by its own funding without any help of government and NGOs. Annual festivals like Holi, Dewali, Dosehra, Shabratri will be funded by ETPB. All the minorities living in Pakistan are safe and government and people of Pakistan safe guard them then he wished Happy Diwali on behalf of chairman ETBP.
Kanji Ram (PML, MNA)
Kanji Ram PML (MNA) also participated in Diwali function and told that he has come to Lahore for Diwali on the instruction of PM Nawaz Sharif and wished all the Hindu community Happy Diwali.
On behalf of Hindu welfare council all the guests were given shawls, awards and gifts. Diwali cake cutting ceremony also took place. After which Hindu’s cultural Kathak dance is performed. Then all the participants were given dinner reception by ETPB. On behalf of ETPB medicine Stall was also arranged.
