For a change, Onam brings cheer in relief camps
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 25 : 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 the 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.
Of course not all the 26 dishes that constitute the 'sadya' could be readied but people appeared to be happy with what they could prepare. Children in the camps gathered 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 Friday evening said 8.69 lakh people were still sheltered in 2,787 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 state-run 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 to her home.
Added Devika, at a camp in Kozhikode: "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 relief camp in Kodungalloor on Saturday was superstar Mammootty, who urged everyone to keep a positive frame of mind.
"You are going to rebuild your lives. Remember, many of you were saved by people who never knew you. Likewise, while a million people were affected by the floods, 30 million Keralites were not. Just like you were saved by unknown people, unknown people all across Kerala will come to your rescue when you rebuild your lives.
"Also, the Kerala government is there with you. Just be positive," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Will do whatever the party asks me to': Shivakumar on Odisha Cong MLAs camping in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said though he had not brought the Congress MLAs from Odisha to Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in that state, he will follow the party's directives.
His remarks come after a group of Odisha Congress legislators were moved to Bengaluru amid apprehensions of cross-voting in the March 16 biennial election.
According to party insiders, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar oversaw the logistical arrangements for their stay in the city.
The legislators are currently staying at the resort facility of an amusement park, located about 35 kms from Bengaluru.
Congress sources said the MLAs are expected to remain there until Monday morning before returning to Bhubaneswar to participate in the voting for the Rajya Sabha election.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said he did not bring them, though he will do whatever the party leadership asks him to.
“Look, whatever the party asks us to do, we must do. These things are happening in every state across the country; it’s nothing new. Since they (Odisha MLAs) have come, I will meet them. They asked me for time, but I told them not to come here (Vidhana Soudha) because the Assembly session is going on. I said I would come after finishing the Assembly work,” the Deputy CM said.
According to party sources, around eight MLAs from the party’s Odisha unit were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and have been accommodated at a resort on the outskirts of the city.
Six more legislators from Odisha along with their Congress Odisha unit president will be reaching Bengaluru in the night.
The move, party insiders said, is aimed at ensuring unity among the legislators in the run-up to the election.
Sources added that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure after the BJP fielded a second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, triggering intense political manoeuvring in the state.
“There were concerns about possible cross-voting and attempts to influence MLAs. As a safeguard, the leadership decided to move them out of the state until the voting,” a Congress functionary said.
“Six more MLAs and their party president are expected to arrive in Bengaluru by Friday night.”
The Congress currently has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and requires additional support to ensure the success of its Rajya Sabha nominee.
Sources said the party leadership feared possible political bargaining and inducements involving legislators from different parties ahead of the poll.
