For a change, Onam brings cheer to Kerala relief camps
Survivors of Kerala’s worst floods in a century on Saturday set aside their misery, even if only temporarily, to celebrate Onam in numerous relief camps across the state, relishing the traditional Onam sadya or lunch.
The second day of the harvest festival, called Thiru Onam, fell on Saturday.
Camp officers ensured availability of vegetables and other commodities after men and women in the camps insisted they would cook the sadya themselves instead of accepting what was being offered by NGOs and clubs. Not all the 26 dishes that constitute the sadya could be readied, but people appeared to be happy with what they could prepare.
State ministers, leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, superstar Mammootty and hugely popular singer KS Chithra were among those who had the sadya with the people in various camps across the state.
Children managed to collect whatever flowers were available in and around the camp sites to prepare floral carpets.
Ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala on May 29, a total of 417 people have died. This month, unprecedented floods caused widespread destruction and forced more than a million people to flee their homes to take shelter in relief centres.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday evening said over 6.05 lakh people are still sheltered in 1,822 camps, big and small.
“We refused a sponsored Onam sadya. Our own lunch turned out to be a huge success,” said Parvathy, a middle-aged woman who has been in a camp in Alappuzha for the past five days. At a camp supported by a staterun engineering college, student volunteers joined the Onam celebrations.
In Kottayam, residents of Aymenem and Kumarakom said the Onam sadya provided them huge relief after unending stories of human suffering. “The bonhomie lit up our lives especially when we prepared our own sadya,” said a woman who was getting ready to return home.
Added Devika, at a camp in Kozihikode: “The tragedy has helped us learn many things which we never ever thought we would learn. We feel we have passed the litmus test.”
Bringing solace to a camp in Kodungalloor was superstar Mammootty, who urged everyone to be positive. “You will rebuild your lives. Remember, many of you were saved by people who never knew you. Likewise, while a million people were hit, 30 million Keralites were not.”