Song and dance are part and parcel of the Onam festivities, but a Member of Parliament narrating a story about animals in a jungle to a rapt audience comprising differently abled children and their parents is a novel way of celebrating the festival.
A. Sampath, MP, and his wife Lissy inaugurated the Onam celebrations of the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation and the Helping Hands Organisation (H2O), a non-governmental organisation, at the H2O’s Pratidhi centre at Vazhuthacaud here on Saturday. The MP’s informal manner put the children at ease, and his queries elicited a raucous response from them. Mr. Sampath imitated the sounds of a koel, crow, kitten, and a squirrel before venturing into a story that gave the message that each individual possessed special talents. The MP viewed the products created by the children as part of their therapy sessions aimed at improving hand-eye coordination. The exhibition and sale included products such as paper bags, scented candles, mosquito repellents, coasters made of beads, pen stands made of ice-cream sticks, wall hanging made of newspapers and broken CDs and those done using twilling, flower vase made using mosquito nets, and paintings.
Cultural programmes such as Thiruvathirakali, dance, songs, fancy dress by the special children, speech and so on were held.
A sadya was also held.
