Any festival has a business attached to it – some hidden, some unhidden. While a few think of the prosperity of the society, others think of their pocket, simply thinking of their own prosperity!

This Onam season this business of prosperity entered my mind because of two reasons – one is a speech delivered by movie director Hariharan at the celebration of Onam at Madras Kerala Samaj the other day. “Onam reminds us we should not become arrogant in prosperity. We should cherish equality and educate the next generation on the need for gaining wisdom by learning from our culture,” said the veteran director. Words of wisdom indeed. Yet another speaker in the function raised another pertinent point, which is even more relevant today. “We observe five-star style celebrations,” said Samaj president TMR Panicker. “Are we including the poor in the celebrations?”

That question reverberated in me as the ‘Onam Sadya’ advertisements poured in on my social media inboxes and feed, which again took me to the question of prosperity. Variety of sadyas (feasts) with the choicest of curries and payasams. Hotels after hotels have the same campaign the make hay while the Onam shines in the Gulf countries. 

An average sadhya costs you five times a good meal. Yes, people wait in queues to get a booking or get a parcel while the quite ordinary people find it difficult to have such a feast spending a fortune. They end up having their routine kubboos!

Often I felt that the cultural capital and culinary capital of Keralites have been shifted to the Middle East. You name any country in the region, you experience the same spirit of celebration. Onam celebrations by umpteen organisations would extend up to the onset of Christmas/New Year and that would continue up to the next celebration – Vishu!  But what about the children of the lesser god?

Agreed! We have to celebrate. But I often feel the less privileged could never afford to have it, and they feel they are always in the side-lines where they have to be mere spectators.

What made me a bit concerned is that unlike the celebrations like Eid, the element of charity is not that great in Onam. The lucky one in the labour camps and the tiny rooms manage to have a humble sadhya within their capacity, many others have to be happy with their staple diet, because most of the hotels do not offer the ordinary lunch on the Onam day.

Also, there are not many organisations that think of the poor and the underprivileged who toil hard to make both ends meet. Even their contractors might not be that serious about what they miss in their life.

Yes, the legend behind the Onam celebration is rooted in not just equality, but it is also about equity. The ordinary people also have the right to have a dignified life, without starvation, without poverty. But in this age of market-oriented economics and lifestyle, how many of us think of the people at the grassroots? How many of us open our eyes to the hard reality about the sufferings of the ordinary ones who are always far away from their dreams?

Sorry, I am not getting negative. But that is the reality. Behind every celebration we enjoy, there is the sweat of the unknown citizen who we often ignore. But a celebration becomes meaningful when they also get a share of the festivities that we keep to ourselves.

Happy Onam everyone! 

About the author: Reena Rahman is the  Chief Executive Officer of Khartoum-based Sun Air and Chief Operating Officer of Alhind Tours and Travels in GCC