Tamils who celebrated the Festival of Light in the dark

On the 12th of November, all the Tamil Hindus celebrate the “Festival of Lights” or the “Diwali Festival”. This year, Hindus in Sri Lanka celebrated the festival in two different ways: happy and sad. While the State celebrated the “Diwali or the Deepavali festival” in a grand manner, a number of Tamils in rural areas said they have no celebration of “Diwali” at all. “Floods and landslides ” have invaded “our lives and destroyed our Diawali” this year.

The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit roots “deepa” (lights) and “avali” (row). The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar and typically fall in late October or early November. This year, Diwali began on the 10th of November, and the festival was observed on the 12th of November.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe took part in Deepavali celebrations held at the Presidential Secretariat on the 12th of November. The event, organized by the Presidential Secretariat, was conducted with simplicity and elegance, emphasizing Hindu rituals.

President Wickremesinghe, present at the function, was warmly welcomed according to Hindu rites. Engaging in a friendly conversation, he extended Deepavali greetings to the Hindu devotees in attendance.

The event was also attended by Minister Douglas Devananda, Eastern Province Governor Sendhil Thondaman, former Member of Parliament R. Yogarajan, President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake, and senior officials from the President’s Office.

President Ranil Wickremasinghe said in his Diwali message, ” Reflecting on the country’s recent experience of an unprecedented economic crisis, the government sought to have Sri Lanka navigate through unparalleled challenges. Presently, the nation is gradually embarking on a path of illuminated development, seeking to dispel the preceding times of darkness.”

Also, he said, “as we celebrate Diwali, it is my fervent hope that the nation unites on this occasion and becomes a beacon, igniting the lamps of prosperity across the country, and steering Sri Lanka towards being a developed country by 2048.”

Meanwhile, many Tamils who are unfortunately facing natural calamities in Sri Lanka said that their Diwali celebrations have been ruined this year.

They say “What a Diwali for us, who have been swept away from where we were.”

“33 members of 08 families of plantation workers were displaced yesterday (09) due to the collapse of a protective stone wall in front of a row of plantation houses in the upper part of Mocha Tea Plantation, 320-Q Village Officer Domain, Maskeliya Police Domain, Nuwara Eliya District.” Told Mojo News Chandana Jayaweera, a news reporter.

The displaced are temporarily housed in a pre-school building in the tea estate, including 15 school-age children.

Mrs. Nadaraj Sita Lechchumi, Village Officer of Mocha Domain, said that the Norwood District Secretariat provided dry food to the displaced labor community.

Displaced plantation workers, who stated that they could not celebrate Diwali this year, requested the authorities to provide houses to their displaced families in a safe place instead of temporary solutions.

The Estate laborers said that the protective stone embankment in front of the line houses of the estate collapsed with the heavy rains that fell daily in those areas, and because of the heavy rain every evening, another part of the embankment is about to collapse, so it is a serious risk to their lives to stay in their line houses.

Also in the Rathnapura District, “HES Estate” in the Kolonnawa Division Tamil Estate workers have been displaced for three weeks and they have no celebration at Diwali this year, told Mojo News the Executive Director of the Voice of Plantation Peoples’ Organization (VOPP) Anthony Jesudasan.

He said, “at present about 09 families with nearly 40 members (Elders, adults, youth, and children) are sheltering at the premises of the Praja Shakthi Foundation”.

Those elders are crying that “today we are not able to clean our own houses, make sweets, light up the house and prepare a mouthful of rice for the children from their homes to celebrate Diwali festival” Jesudasan added.

These 09 families also are requesting permanent land or houses in a safer area to live without fear and stress.

Devotees illuminate lamps and participate in religious rites, upholding the shared aspiration of infusing light within every soul.

END.