Ratepayer Advocate Seema M. Singh 
Holds First Celebration of Deepawali, the Festival of Lights,
 At a New Jersey State Agency

Event Photos

Newark, NJ – On behalf of Governor James E. McGreevey, Seema M. Singh, New Jersey’s Ratepayer Advocate, initiated the first celebration of Diwali at a state office on Tuesday, October 21, 2003, with a presentation to the staff on “Hindu Worldviews” by Rajiv Malhotra, President of The Infinity Foundation.

Mr. Malhotra simplified the complex concepts of Ultimate Reality in Hindu Philosophy to an audience including attorneys and administrators, by comparing the different deities and Gods in Hinduism, including Ganesh, Laxmi, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, to Cabinet Members or different Department Heads.

He explained that, “Hindus believe they can reach the Supreme Power by their devout worship of one of several Hindu deities or follow a different path of pursuing an abstract form of God who has no name and face.” Malhotra added that Hindus also believe that you are a better human being, and therefore a better Hindu, if you help people from different faiths become better Christians, better Jews and better Muslims.

Singh, the highest ranking Asian-Indian in state government, said, “I believe such celebrations are a tribute to the diversity and multicultural fabric of the State of New Jersey and its various agencies, including our own. They foster a deeper understanding and awareness of a 10,000-year old tradition, followed by one out of every six people in the world.” Singh, who is a member of Governor McGreevey’s cabinet, said that the Governor, who is a staunch advocate of multiculturism, strongly supported and encouraged her initiative.

Rajiv Malhotra’s presentation was well received. “Enlightening,” “thought provoking,” “stimulating” and “spiritual,” were some of the words used to describe the talk on Indian philosophy at the Diwali Celebration.

Several senior staffers marveled at their first exposure to Indian thought and tradition, including the clarity it gave them on the differences and similarities between Hinduism and the Judaeo-Christian  tradition.

In response to questions on reincarnation and the theory of Karma, Malhotra explained how men and women must account for their good and bad deeds not just in this life, but in their next. It works like an ongoing credit card system of charges and debits, “which is why many of us cannot explain what happens to us in this life, because it may be payback or a reward for our past  lives or our own desire to write off more bad Karma in this one,” he stated.

This provocative introduction to some of the basic concepts of Hinduism was enjoyed by the men and women at the Division of the Ratepayer Advocate who work tirelessly to keep the lights burning brightly for all New Jersey ratepayers, as they celebrated Diwali by lighting ornate Indian lamps known as diyas, applying the ceremonial Indian tikka and enjoying a taste of India.

Andrew K. Dembia, Deputy Director of the Division of the Ratepayer Advocate, Managing Attorneys Chris White, Ami Morita, Felicia Thomas-Friel, Chief Accountant Florence Faraone and Office Manager Donna Carney joined Seema M. Singh, Director, in lighting the diyas, while some sported the Indian tikka, applied on their foreheads by Ms. Singh.

Mr. Dembia thanked Ms. Singh for her initiative in organizing what he described as an insightful and enlightening celebration that provided the first exposure to Indian thought and philosophy for many in the agency. The celebration also provided an excellent opportunity to participate in Indian tradition, he said.

The Hindu Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi and Hindu Lord Ganesh, the Remover of Obstacles and the God of Abundance, also took center stage as lawyers and administrators joked about invoking their blessings so the Division had a better budget in the new financial year.

Asto Ma Sat Gamaya --- Lead me from the Unreal to the Truth
Tamso Ma Jyotir Gamaya --- Lead me from the Darkness of Ignorance
to the Light of Knowledge
Mrityor Ma Amrutam Gamaya --- Lead me from Mortality to Immortality ---

The Sanskrit Shlokas, which reverbrated through the room at the beginning of the ceremony, recited by Seema M. Singh, New Jersey’s Ratepayer Advocate, left a mark on their audience, leaving them with a deeper understanding of Indian thought and tradition and a desire to learn more. By lighting the lamp of greater understanding and friendship for their neighbor, their friend and their colleague, the audience began a journey of the mind to new ideas and different dimensions of thought.

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The Division of the Ratepayer Advocate is an independent state agency that represents the interests of utility consumers and serves as an active participant in every case where New Jersey utilities seek changes in their rates or services.  The Ratepayer Advocate also gives consumers a voice in setting long-range energy, water, and telecommunications policy that will affect the delivery of utility services well into the future.  

Additional information on this and other matters can be found at the Division of Ratepayer Advocate’s website at http://www.rpa.state.nj.us