Today there was a huge festival of Indian spirituality by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (generally referred to as Hare Krishna). A parade of the devotees and a colorful painted wagon carrying a representation of Lord Krishna was rolled down 5th Avenue from 59th Street to Washington Square, where the festival was set up with dancing, chanting, and booths offering free food, literature, and spiritual instruction. Many entire families with children spent the day, and it was pleasant to see all the people dressed in beautiful saris and other Indian traditional clothing having a good time. The proselytizing was gentle and unobtrusive, and basically the entire event felt like an old-fashioned country fair come to the city.

There were very large demonstrations across the country today, which seem to have taken everyone by surprise, about the status of illegal aliens and immigrants. This has come to a head because there have been proposals for federal laws that would make life much harsher for such people, as well as counter proposals which would have the opposite effect. NYC has benefited greatly from newcomers and is very supportive of them. However, many across the country feel that not enough is being done to stop illegal immigration and that it makes for unfair competition between citizens and illegal workers.

The march in NYC had a very diverse flavor, sometimes party-like in atmosphere. There was music and food, and the local government representatives came out and spoke in support of their quest for legitimization. Since most who live in NYC (and most Americans) have immigrant roots, it would be surprising if we were not supportive. It’s the first time people from this group have done anything publicly or politically because generally they have been afraid to call attention to themselves, for obvious reasons.