KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and four other non-governmental organisations urged Hindu devotees today to practise restrain when breaking coconuts for the Thaipusam festival.
The four groups noted that over the years, the symbolism of breaking coconuts had been lost and had instead turned into a competition with devotees wasting money and the fruit by breaking hundreds of them.
“Over the years devotees try to outdo one another with the number of coconuts broken during the passing of the chariots.
“This practice is uncalled for as it only leads to wastage of funds which could be put to better use to carry out charitable deeds for the needy,” CAP education officer NV Subbarow told a press conference here recently.
He said the practice of breaking coconuts is unique only to Penang and estimated that over 350,000 coconuts were broken over the three days of the Thaipusam festival on the island half of the state alone last year.
He claimed most of the broken coconuts only ended up in landfills, adding that most of the money spent on them could have been used instead to feed the hungry.
“Thaipusam is not a coconut breaking competition where people challenge each other to break hundreds or even thousands of coconuts,” said V. Nanda Kumar, Penang state chairman of Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram, who was also present at the same news conference.
A. Tharman vice chairman of Penang Hindu Sangam also called upon devotees to utilse the funds saved to carry out projects to feed the volunteers and the poor in old folks homes and other charitable homes.
“By their kind gesture the needy and unfortunate from all races will benefit positively from the Thaipusam festival,” he added.
Also present were representatives Persatuan Naam Tamilar Penang.
