Compiled by C. ARUNO, R. ARAVINTHAN and JUNAID IBRAHIM
THE Hindu community in Teluk Intan is fed up with people who dump things into the river while performing funeral rites at a temple there, Makkal Osai reported.
The Sri Kasi Viswanathan Temple is located along Sungai Perak and the riverbank is used for performing Hindu funeral rites.
Elango Sivalingam, who looks after the area, said some people leave behind items, including those deemed holy, after finishing their rituals.
The area is also used by other communities and fishermen who might unknowingly trample on these items, he added.
Mourners have been reminded to leave such items at a designated place at the temple for proper disposal, but the indiscriminate dumping keeps happening, said Elango.
Among items that have been thrown into the river are clay pots and oil lamps, which get washed onto the riverbank. Worse still, even mattresses, pillows and clothes used by the deceased are thrown into the river.
It is customary to release the “padayal” food used during funeral rites into the river.
“These may decompose or get eaten by fish, but other items will cause pollution and despoil the river,” Elango said.
The community must behave responsibly and reasonably to avoid giving room to criticism or even insults to the community and the faith, he urged.
> The International Business Conference of Nagarathar (IBCN) 2023 that took place in Kuala Lumpur honoured prominent leaders and entrepreneurs of the Nagarathar community from around the world, Makkal Osai reported.
The event that took place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre was attended by Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar and Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Saraswathy Kandasami.
Tamil Nadu Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan also attended the event as a keynote speaker and guest of honour.
Sivakumar, who spoke at the event, praised the Nagarathar community for their contributions to Tamil schools.
Tamil schools in the country have been the backbone of the community and have contributed to their unity, he added.
The Nagarathar and Indian community as a whole must make sure they continue supporting and protecting the 528 Tamil schools in the country, he urged.
While the Indian diaspora has expanded across the world, only in Malaysia do Tamil schools have the status they do, he reminded them.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
