The Indian Association of Uganda and the High Commission have partnered with the Ruperalia Group this year to organise the annual Diwali food festival involving all Indian sects in Uganda.
During the interview on Saturday, Paresh Mehta, the Chairman of the association said the Indian community in Uganda and their high Commission together with Speak Resort, have organized this year’s festival scheduled for Sunday, October 19 at Speke Resort Munyonyo, as an occasion to attract all the sects in the country, to showcase India’s varied regional delicacies, cultural and tradition and well as promote the culture of unity in diversity and also strengthen their cultural heritage.
‘Diwali is an Indian festival that is celebrated in all corners of the world, including in the United States. In Kenya government has gazetted it as a public holiday, and at State House Entebbe, in the past the President has organized Diwali celebrations for the community. We have been celebrating this festival under an umbrella association,’ he said.
He added that the impact that the partnership between the Association, High Commission and the Ruperalia group has created on some of their projects such as blood donations and free heart surgeries for Ugandan children, has generated a lot of demand for the celebration as a flagship festival for the community living in Uganda.
Asked to explain the significance of the festival, he said among the Indians, they celebrate it as victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. He added that Diwalu brings together all communities, reconnects families and friends, contributes to social harmony and fosters a sense of belonging.
‘It is a festival that transcends religion and geography, offering a universal message of hope, renewal, and togetherness, and reminds people of the enduring power of light through times of darkness. It is also a time for new beginnings in business, personal growth, and spiritual enlightenment,’ he said.
According to Sasi Nair, the secretary of the association said the festival is an inherited Indian culture of celebrating victory over darkness. He said it is a way of encouraging their community to always be righteous and nurture the younger and future generations to keep alive the culture of good behavior for future generations.
‘We inherited the culture of good behavior which we have to pass onto our children and the next generations. We have so far registered more than 100 food stalls and over 15 cultural performances from various Indian regions and every diaspora community will be represented,’ he said.
He added that Ugandans and international communities are free to attend and witness some of the biggest Indian cultural performances and also experience various flavors of rural India.
According to Mohammed Vaheed, the Treasurer Indian Association, Diwali is a word derived from Skanskrit to mean celebration of lights and it is a major Hindu festival celebrated as a sign of victory over darkness. During the festival, people light lamps, décor. During Diwali, people light lamps, decorate their homes, exchange gifts, and enjoy festive meals and Indian delicacies.