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A big Onam let-down

The Government-sponsored Onam celebrations at Sreevarahom witnessed an anti-climax on Wednesday evening due to the cancellation of the demonstration of an amphibious vehicle in the temple tank. The organising committee had announced the demonstration to make up for the failure to conduct the annual boat race. The boat race had to be called off after the High Court issued a stay on the basis of a petition filed by a non-governmental organisation against the use of the tank for non-religious purposes. This year, it was the police who played spoilsport. Spectators were dismayed to hear that the police had prohibited the demonstration on grounds of the court verdict.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan called on the organising committee to move the court to get the stay vacated. He also presented a ‘ponnada’ to Vinodkumar, the young innovator who developed the amphibious vehicle. But that was no consolation for the hundreds of spectators who felt let down.

T. Nandakumar

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