Floods wash away Christmas joy in coastal Tuticorin

Tuticorin: Having given birth to her first child 40 days ago, L Kiruba, 21, from Punnaikayal was eagerly looking forward to this Christmas. The family was preparing for it till the unstoppable rain and deluge washed away their homes and dreams in their coastal village. Electricity is not yet restored and they are staring at a gloomy Christmas.
The family is now living in a camp set up near Church ground.Cut to a year ago, Kiruba, a newlywed, was dancing with her husband on the ground near St Francis Xavier’s church. “It was a joyous Christmas as the families danced together. This Christmas we are sitting and counting our losses because whatever we bought for the festival was washed away including the one for the baby,” says Kiruba’s sister Vinodhini.
They are among thousands of families in Punnaikayal who are badly hit by the floods. Coastal Tuticorin is predominantly Catholic, tracing their faith to the Portuguese in the 15th century. Having converted to catholicism for political reasons, the coastal people stayed strong in their faith even when the regimes changed. The annual Christmas carol and celebrations are exclusive festivities of the region.
Rubert Peries, 72, religious headman of Punnaikayal village, said the silver lining is that there was no casualty in the village. The fishermen who know how to handle currents came out of the floods unscathed but lost their property not to speak of all the goodies bought for Christmas. “The information about the flood reached us at the last minute on Sunday night from the officials. The village was flooded even as we were conveying the information to the people,” says Rubert.
Villagers are relieved that their 400-year-old church did not suffer damage. “In order to boost the hope of the villagers, we have planned to organise a special mass tonight but there will be no celebration,” said Punnaikayal parish priest Fr Dimal Dennis Raj. The gloom is pervasive at Serntha Poomangalam too, another predominantly Catholic village a few kilometres away from Punnaikayal. S Seminda, 58, a villager, said, “After having some celebrations in the local church, we will also join the mass at the Saint Xavier’s church in Punnaikayal. We are also homeless and robbed of our livelihoods,” said Seminda.
For Tuticorin city, OLS (Our Lady of Snows) Carol is a carnival many look forward to every Christmas eve. The carnival starts from Old Market Road and comes to the Basilica of Our Lady of Snows through V E Road. “Religions apart, it is the night Tuticorin celebrates together,” says Tuticorin resident Subash Fernando.
Beautifully decorated vehicles and carol bands will march together for almost three hours to the basilica, all the while dancing, for the Christmas mass at midnight. “Thousands will gather to see this unique festivity. “We will attend the mass tonight and come back stronger next Christmas,” Fernando added.