KUCHING: Deepavali which falls on Oct 24 will be celebrated with the usual fanfare this year, after a two-year pandemic hiatus.
New Sarawak Tribune met with some members of the Hindu community at the Indian Association Kuching (IAK) hall on yesterday (Oct 15) to get their thoughts on being finally able to celebrate without restrictions.
“This is the moment we have been waiting for since the pandemic, for two years we lived with conditions, we can now freely visit our relatives and open our house for visitors to come and enjoy a wonderful Deepavali meal,” said civil servant Mutthiah Pillai.
The 41-year-old welcomed everyone to his home for the occasion.
V.Ahtma, the secretary of the Indian Association Kuching, said that the association could also finally plan and organise programmes for the remainder of the year.
“After two years of the pandemic, we are finally heading into some sort of normalcy, today, we have got 60 recipients receiving donations,” he said.
The 63-year-old also explained that this year’s Deepavali will be much more grand than in previous years, as the freedom to celebrate openly has finally been presented to him and the rest of the Hindu community.
He hoped that one day, a public holiday can be given by the State government so that people can come and celebrate Deepavali together.
Business owner, Somasundram Ponnaiah, 56, extended his fellow Hindus a blessed Deepavali celebration.
“It has been two years, since we last celebrated Deepavali, I would like every Malaysian celebrating Deepavali to take care of yourselves as the battle against Covid-19 is not over,” he reminded.
A. Narayanan Kannan, 67 a retired army captain also hopes Sarawak will have a public holiday so that the other races and the Hindu community can enjoy the festival of lights together.
“Being a Sarawakian, I feel very happy that we respect one another, and are able to interact with one another and respect each other.
“Festivals bring this kind of cohesiveness, it is really meaningful,” he added.
