NEW YORK (TIP): The New York City Council honored, November 15, businesswoman, community leader and chairperson of Diwali Stamp Project, Ranju Batra for her singular achievement in having a Diwali Stamp issued by the USPS.

Batra’s journey to have the US postal department issue a Diwali stamp started in 2010. She discussed the idea of a Diwali stamp with community leaders only to learn that many had already tried only to fail. But this did not deter Ranju. She was able to get support from multiple members of Congress and collected thousands upon thousands of paper petitions. The then-Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay authored the official poem of the Diwali Stamp Project and during the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, Ranju Batra asked Prime Minister Modi to support the stamp and the Prime Minister wrote to President Obama, as well as to the Postmaster General.

Ranju Batra’s perseverance and single minded devotion bore fruit. On August 23, 2016, the announcement was made that the Diwali Stamp was approved. On October 5, 2016 at the Consulate General of India, history was made and Diwali Forever Stamp was unveiled at an official function of the USPS jointly with Consulate General of India and Diwali Stamp Project.

Ranju Batra has dedicated her life to serving the public. Born in India, she immigrated to the United States in 1975. She has a successful business record and still finds time for social, civic, political and charitable activities, including working as a trustee of the Hindu Center in Flushing.

She served as President of Association of Indians in America (AIA), New York Chapter in 2011-12.