Divali speech 2006

Mr Mayorand honoured guests.
I enjoy Divali - I enjoy festivals - I particularly like the stick dancing at Navatri.
Festivals are about people being happy- sharing food, talk and laughter together while respecting the religious tradition.
At this time of year, all the majaor religions here in Bolton (Christian, Hindu and Muslim) are celebrating - or nearly celebrating festivals. It is a good time of year.
At the Bolton Interfaith Council, we enjoy sharing in the festivals. We know that if people are friendly - friendly to their neighbours, then life is better.
We know that if two people have a problem over anaything, they can sort it out if they talk to each other - or if they seek help sorting out their problems. It is more fun to be friends than enemies.
It is more fun to share than push people away.
It is more fun to laugh than to be angry.
When I look around Bolton, I like to see the many different races and cultures living and working together.
If we do have problems I like the way that the Bolton Council, the Bolton Interfaith Council and ohers try to sort things out.
Because people like to be happy and they like life to be fun. It is what we all want.
Bolton is a good example of people from different cultures and religions working together. But at the Interfaith Council we want it to be even better. We want everyone to feel part of the Bolton Harmony.
We want everyone to make friends with their neighbour. We want to solve the problems that make people angry.
We want to be able to say to the whwole world 'Look at Bolton - we are all friends - we do not need to fight. Let the whole world try to be like us here in Bolton where life is fun, because there is peace and we are all friends.'
And all we need to do is smile - smile at our neighbours and become friends.
We will all be happy and we will all have fun. We will celebrate Divali even better and thank our gods for helping us to become better people.