It was a special and unique occasion for inmates of the Home for Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Mentally Ill Persons at Tirupattur as they celebrated the festival of lights – Deepavali – with District Collector C. Rajendran and a number of invitees drawn from various walks of life on Wednesday.
‘Anandha Deepavali' was celebrated with an emphasis on religious harmony andthe Collector took the initiative of gifting new clothes, fire crackers and also hosted a lunch for the inmates of the home from his own pocket.
In fact, the inmates of the home have never been able to celebrate Deepavali with such grandeur. “Since the establishment of the home four-and-a-half-years ago, this is the first time our inmates have new clothes for Deepavali. Till now, we have given them old clothes for the festival and even food was prepared with whatever we had. The Collector hosted lunch for the inmates and others who had come for the celebration. This was indeed a special Deepavali for all here,” said C. Ramesh, President of Udhavum Ullangal-Tirupattur, which runs the home.
Mr. Rajendran presented new clothes and fire crackers to the 36 men and five women inmates of the home, and also the staff of the home. “The inmates of the home were very happy and excited. In fact, this celebration has inspired a number of persons who have come forward to support us with donation. This has encouraged our work too. While one donor presented Rs. 10,000, another has come forward to donate Rs. 25,000,” Mr. Ramesh said.
The Collector, in his speech, exhorted people to help those in need. “It is rare to find opportunities to help the needy. One needs to utilise the opportunities to help people. These people have been marginalised by the society and we should come forward to help them,” he noted.Sub-Collector, Tirupattur, Lalitha Lakshmi, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Tirupattur sub-division, R. Ponni and representatives of social organizations were present.
