The East Indian Community

Yesterday we celebrated Agera feast (the feast of blessing of the new Corn produced in our fields ), one of the most awaited feast by all the East Indians. I have heard that once upon a time this feast was celebrated with much pomp and splendour.

Times have changed, all the fields have disappeared in the concrete jungle and along with the fields has gone away our sense and joy of celebrating the feast.

Our Priest of modern age have given a new name for this feast and they called it’ Thanks giving day’. They found it awkward to announce it has Agera Feast until some of us East Indians in Parish council forced them to do so.

What hurt me the most was when during the sermon the priest asked the catechism children’s as to what feast is celebrated today? , The answers were ‘Thanksgiving Day’ ,’ Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday’, and something else but not a single child stood up and answered proudly that we celebrate the Agera feast today.

Wake up my dear East Indian people, it is high time that we educate our children’s about our East Indian customs and traditions and the various feast we celebrate or else a day will come when our children’s will also find it awkward to pronounce our feast by their original names leave apart the sense and joy of celebrating it.