Diwali a state holiday in Pennsylvania, thanks to efforts of doctor from Himachal's Hamirpur

The US state of Pennsylvania has officially declared Diwali as a state holiday, thanks to the efforts of Dr Vasu Singh, a woman physician originally hailing from Hamirpur and now settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Governor Josh Shapiro had recently reappointed Dr Vasu Singh to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — marking her fourth consecutive term on the panel. Soon after her reappointment, Dr Vasu Singh took the initiative on behalf of the Indian community and urged the Governor to recognise Diwali as a state holiday.

Governor Shapiro, acting on her proposal, signed a Bill to officially recognise Diwali, the festival of lights, as a state holiday in Pennsylvania. The Governor also joined the members of the Indian community, including Dr Vasu Singh, in celebrating Diwali at a special event hosted by the Governor’s Office and the Advisory Commission on Asian Affairs.

Dr Vasu Singh hails from Maharal village in Hamirpur district. Her family had later settled in Dharamsala, Kangra district. A family medicine physician based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Dr Vasu Singh is affiliated with St. Luke’s University Health Network. She had earned her medical degree from a college in Bijapur, Karnataka, and completed her postgraduate studies in family medicine from St. Luke’s Hospital, Pennsylvania.