Onam: Rebuilding and Giving

Onam was quiet this year. How can I celebrate when Kerala was ravaged by floods? As an expatriate, I went through two phases. The first was blissful ignorance and the second was anxiety along with guilt. When the water rising in the dams, I was not paying attention. After the barriers were opened and the incessant rains caused floods, I woke up with the guilt of leaving everyone behind and staying miles away in comfort. Both the phases are over now. Kerala has begun the reconstruction. Such an initiative requires a lot of resources - money and manpower. When Kerala is facing such a daunting task in front of her, are celebrations necessary? In fact, I am not alone in asking this questions. Many others are asking this question. 

As mentioned earlier, I am an expatriate. I live outside Kerala, and also India. Onam is celebrated in many cities in the UK, which is my current residence. In all these cities, you will either find a Malayali association or a group of Malayalis who organize Onam celebrations. Any such event consists of a pookkalam (an intricate flower arrangement), songs and dances by local talents, and finally a traditional feast on a banana leaf. As you may have realized, it is an expensive event. Even though you pay an entrance fee, the purpose of these events is not to make money but to build solidarity with the community and also to showcase the culture. This year, the question which haunts many is simple. Do we spend on such an event? Or should we just collect money and send it to Kerala?

There is a quick and dirty way to fix it. Label these events into fundraisers. The idea is not bad. But think about it practically. There is nothing much left in the collection box once you pay for all the expenses. And also think about the hours one has to dedicate for the rehearsals. So the fundraiser might end up as a dud. Personally, I could do away with everything except the banana leaf feast. On the day of Thiruvonam, I went to a Malayali restaurant in East Ham. There were 30 dishes on a banana leaf for a nominal amount. I forgot to count and ate. In between eating, I noticed the display board. The restaurant was dedicating the proceeds to the flood victims. I wondered if this would be effective for two reasons. They were serving a lot of food. Although the management had requested the patrons to restrict their time at the table to 20 minutes, there were not showing any inclination to enforce the time limit.

Ultimately, the decision is left to us. Do you want to celebrate? Then go ahead. But if you are conflicted. Then stay away. If you choose to stay away, then you have three options. The first option is to donate to the (Kerala) Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. This option is my preferred method because I trust the face on that site. But you may be cautious and may want to flow of your funds from you to the victims. For these, you can choose the other two options. Before I explain the other two options, let me confess. I can only show the path, but you have to walk yourself. The second option is the various NGOs associated with the relief work. The third is the group of committed citizens/humanitarians banding together to source the reconstruction resources and sent it to relief camps. The good news is that this species exists everywhere in the world.

While we are thinking of how to contribute, some people surprise with acts of kindness. I bumped into a colleague when Kerala was in distress. Our talks turn to floods and he was talking about Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. On hearing about the fund from him, I was surprised. Later in the conversation, I found out that he had contributed to the relief fund when he heard about the disaster. None of his friends were affected. None of his relatives were affected. It will take two days journey from Kerala to reach his home. Yet, he didn't think twice to give. He has a different philosophy. He does not want to put clauses while giving. He has trusted the other person to do the right thing with this help. He has taken a leap of faith. I mumbled a feeble thank you.

Photo Courtesy: George Augustine