Rishikul Primary School dis­played a simple act of kind­ness by extending an invita­tion to the Fiji School for the Blind to be part of its Diwali celebration yesterday.

Head of the Fiji School for the Blind , Sharmi­la Karan, said this gesture shown meant a lot for her students who were visually impaired and blind.

“My students enjoyed the celebra­tion, their being exposed to other schools and into a different envi­ronment and feeling the unwaver­ing gesture of sharing and love this Diwali,” she said.

Permanent Secretary for Educa­tion, Heritage and Arts, Anjeela Jokhan, said this small gesture shown for the children was a re­spectable one.

“I do hope that more schools and more people include these chil­dren who don’t normally get this chance,” she said.

Conveying her Diwali message, she said: “We are fortunate in Fiji where we celebrate diversity. This is our true Fijian spirit.

“Our 2013 Constitution assures every Fijian to practice a religion of their choice freely and without any restrictions.

“I can proudly say Fiji is indeed a multicultural country. And this has given us the opportunity to take part in other festivals, a demonstra­tion of our diverse cultural society to all the children present here.”

She urged the students to uphold good values in life, and be good models to others, their families, their friends and respect everyone regardless of the religion they fol­low.

“We can be assured that every re­ligion teaches us to be good people, to be kind, to be considerate and to love and treat everyone with re­spect and care.”

“Enjoy your Diwali and make the best memories during this fiesta with your loved ones. And while you’re playing with firecrackers, I kindly advise that you be very care­ful,” she said.

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