Trump marks Diwali in Oval Office; Vishal Gondal presents him a Hanuman Chalisa

US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali in the Oval Office of the White House. The event was held on Friday, US time. Several prominent industrialists and officials of Indian origin were present.

Among those who attended were entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna and former Canadian MP Ruby Dhalla, along with several other influential members of the Indian-American community. Gondal met Trump separately and presented him with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa. Photographs of the occasion are now being widely shared on social media around the world.

Gondal shared his experience of lighting the diya and giving Trump the Hanuman Chalisa on his social media account. He wrote: "Celebrating Diwali with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House is a moment of great honour for me. I felt very proud to present Trump with the Hanuman Chalisa, which Saint Tulsidas composed in praise of Shri Hanuman, the supreme devotee of Lord Shri Ram. Crores of people in our country recite it every day to gain courage, strength and devotion."

Gondal said that while lighting traditional diyas at the White House, he prayed that the friendship between India and the US grows stronger and that the light of knowledge triumphs over the darkness of ignorance. President Trump also extended Diwali greetings to the Indian community, offering the traditional blessing "Jug Jug Jiyo". According to Gondal, it means "may you live for ages", and he extended the wish to people across the world: peace, prosperity, good health and long life.

US political analysts say the event has a larger political dimension and is not merely cultural. Trump is hosting the celebration after the recent midterm elections. According to election data, a large section of Indian-American voters backed Trump and the Republican Party in the presidential election, but in the midterms Indian-origin voters appeared to lean towards the Democratic Party. Political circles are therefore discussing whether the Trump administration organised this cultural outreach to repair its broken contact with the Indian community and retain support.

Meanwhile, people of Indian origin living in the US remain concerned about their safety. Several organisations allege that toxic rhetoric and right-wing extremism from some hardline supporters of Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) campaign have increased racial violence against Asians and people of Indian origin. In the past few months, attacks on Indian temples and hate crimes have risen. In a recent incident, an attempt was made to shoot at a Hindu temple, but a major tragedy was averted when the gun jammed. The question now is whether this White House Diwali will remain a formality or actually reduce racial hatred against Indians in the US.

The tradition of celebrating Diwali at the White House is not new. It was begun in 2003 by then President George W. Bush. The events were initially held mostly in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with Indian-American citizens and Indian diplomatic officials attending. In 2009, President Barack Obama gave the tradition a new and grander form by personally lighting the first diya in the White House's main East Room. Since then, the lamp-lighting ceremony has been held regularly in several important rooms of the White House, including the Oval Office and the Roosevelt Room.