During celebrations at Hindu temples and churches, school supplies were distributed to 175 children from the underprivileged community of Malaiyaha. The initiative, promoted by the organization Voice of Plantation People (VOPP), combined faith and cultural identity, commemorating 200 years of Tamil migration from India to local plantations.
Deniyaya () – Thai Pongal, one of the most important festivities in Tamil culture, was celebrated yesterday, January 14, both by Hindu devotees in the temples and by Tamil Christians in the churches in the interior of the southern province from Sri Lanka. The festival, in which the harvest is celebrated and thanks are given to the Sun, Mother Nature and the animals, was accompanied by the preparation of the traditional Pongal – rice cooked with milk and cane sugar – and the distribution of books and school supplies to the children of the Malaiyaha Reason community, who remain socially disadvantaged compared to other Tamils. The word “Thai” refers to the first month of the Tamil calendar.
The celebration was promoted by the Voice of Plantation People (VOPP) organization, which distributed aid to 175 talented students from the Galle and Matara districts. Community blessing (puja) ceremonies were held at the Hindu temples of Pattini Amman in Thalgaswala and Pussawala in Deniyaya, while at St. Joseph’s Church in Deniyaya, Father Sebastian Nagaraj celebrated the special mass, incorporating Tamil rituals. , a practice that has received approval from the Vatican.
P. Nagaraj stressed during his homily that Thai Pongal, although not a religious festival, belongs to Tamil culture and is an opportunity to give thanks to God for Creation. Celebrating this festival with Tamil rituals and customs, he said, unites faith and cultural identity, offering a blessing to the entire community. Next, the priest remembered the 200th anniversary of the migration of the Malaiyaha community to Sri Lanka, and invited the faithful to live with gratitude and fraternity, without discrimination. The Malaiyaha are actually Tamils who were forced by British Empire officials to move to Sri Lanka to work on the tea plantations.
Representatives of the community, such as M. Devika, S. Simeon and Mahinda Kumar, speaking to , described the VOPP initiative as a “noble act” that demonstrates true brotherhood. Beneficiary students such as Father Kaweesh and S. Subhashini also expressed their gratitude to the donors, describing the materials received as an encouragement to study harder.
Principal of Igalkanda Tamil Primary School Naganathan N. Roshini praised VOPP for being the first group to provide such valuable help to the students. The initiative was made possible thanks to the support of local and international benefactors from countries such as Australia and Italy.
The celebration of Thai Pongal also drew attention to the difficulties faced by the Malaiyaha community, who despite their crucial contribution to Sri Lanka’s economy, continue to fight for the recognition of their fundamental rights.
The VOPP secretariat, based in Negombo and composed entirely of Catholics, works to build a solid foundation that guarantees the basic rights of the community, continuing a 200-year history of commitment and resistance.
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