The low income takes away the joy of  Avurudu! 

“We cannot afford to celebrate the Sinhala-Tamil New Year with joy, the festival of Surya’s coming from Pisces to Megha. This year is more difficult than previous years. There is no proper daily income. Therefore, it is difficult to buy any new clothes and tasty food. That’s why we have to say that this New Year is not for the poor” This is the opinion of the Sinhala-Tamil some people who earn low income daily.

Low-income earners as well as economic experts say that the social and economic impact is hitting hard so that the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, which comes at a time when the majority of the people living in Sri Lanka are facing economic pressure, cannot be celebrated in the way it was celebrated a few years ago.

“Even if it is difficult to save, we used to save a little of what we earned throughout the year in the past thinking about to celebrate the New Year in April. But after the threat of COVID, the income decreased little by little and there was no prosperity. Hope faded day by day and there was no comfort. This year was almost lost for everyone,” Saranapala Kasturi, a 58-year-old Sinhala Buddhist, who is engaged in fruit vending at the Colombo Fort Pedestrian, told Mojo News.

Saranapala, a father of three school-aged girls, comes to Colombo Fort by bus from Homagama every morning at 5:00 a.m. He takes two boxes of oranges from the fruit wholesaler and sells them on the pavement. In the past, 4 such fruit boxes were sold in one day and left Colombo at 4.00 pm with Rupees 3000-4000.

“But today, in order to sell one and a half boxes of fruit, he said that he had to shout till his throat tasted blood, and at the end of the day he had to go home with Rupees 1000.00,” he said.

“Five of us have lived for a day, and three have been sent to school, where is the money for the celebration of the New Year? Saranapala said with great pain, “What years have we missed when the prices of goods have skyrocketed?”

He further added, “There are hundreds like me on this pavement. All we are left with is sadness”.

According to traders, most people don’t have money to spend during this Sinhala and Tamil New Year. People come and inquire about the prices and return. And we too, are unable to reduce the prices. We survive through this trade.

A kavum 60.00 rupees, a Mung kavum 60.00 rupees, an athirasa 60.00 rupees, a kokis 10 is 300.00 rupees, and an aasmi 130.00 rupees. So, we cannot trade without selling at this price. Sadly, people turn away after hearing the prices of these sweets now. Those days people buy 10 to 25 for each item, but now people buy only for the members of the family or only one for one person. If there are six or seven people in a family, I don’t understand what to do” said a sweets seller in Colombo Fort to Mojo News.

The little children who come with their parents look at the sweets and go away when the parents ask the price of the sweets and leave. In the past, that means 3-4 years ago, by today, I have had a significant income. But, today, my income is still Only 1000 rupees. I brought sweets yesterday and received 1000 rupees yesterday,” said 60-year-old Mabel Felicia, who sells sweets at Jaela Public Market.

The usual hustle and bustle of markets, busy streets, and crowded supermarkets associated with the National New Year were absent, despite Avurudu being just a few days away, coinciding with the Ramadan festival.

Traders said the moderate crowd seen at the markets was more interested in buying clothing for the festivals than food items and household goods.

They said they believed the high prices of Avurudu-related goods and household items were keeping shoppers away.

Nadarasa Rasamani is a 45-year-old three-wheeler driver with two young children. He lives in a rented house in Wattala area with his elderly mother, father, wife, and two children. He said that the three-wheeler business is not as successful as usual. He stops his three-wheeler near Hemas Private Hospital in Wattala at 6:00 a.m. every day and sells breakfast to people going to work until 8:30 a.m.

Nadarasa said that despite doing such a small business together with his wife, he spends the month with a lot of hardships, and said that he does not talk about New Year’s Eve that much at home. We can’t afford to buy sweets and new clothes for our children. We can not afford to buy gifts for our parents. Neither of us wants to take out loans and do them. That’s why me and my wife have sadly forgotten the year,” Nadarasa said in a low voice.

Although the Sinhala Tamil New Year is a national festival that everyone spends with joy, it is a matter of regret that the joy of that year has been lost for poor people like us. There are people who enjoy maximum happiness. They have the attitude that the responsible people of the country should know how to create a way for us to enjoy that joy.

END.