A token of love, warmth and friendship

PALAKKAD: As District Collector K V Mohan Kumar read the lines ‘engal anbaarantha tamil ullangalle,ungal annaivareyum Kerala mannukku varikka varikka enu anbuddan varavellikkirom’ (Our loved Tamils, we welcome you all to Kerala’s soil with love) for the Sabarimala pilgrims from Tamil Nadu at Walayar, pleasant smiles spread among them.Continuing his speech the Collector said  “Tamizhum, Malayalavum erundu mozhigalume, oru thaiveetil purantha pillaigal thaan” (Tamil and Malayalam were children born to the same mother). “Aganaal naam anaivarrum oru thaai makkal agirom” (Therefore all of us are the children of the same mother).He added that protection would be given to the pilgrims in Kerala and ensuring their safety was of utmost concern. He also reminded them of the need to continue the friendship between the people of the two states. Earlier, the Guruswamis were received with bouquets by the officials of the district administration, who organised the reception for the Sabarimala pilgrims. The personnel of the Motor Vehicles Department received the pilgrims into  Kerala by conducting ‘aarathi’ with  camphor, applying ‘kalabhams’ on the forehead, sprinkling ‘panineer’ and offering lime. Subsequently, the Collector and SP M P Dinesh, along with the Guruswamis, lighted the lamp. The Collector told ‘Express’ that a feedback form would be provided to the pilgrims while returning from Sabarimala which they will be asked to fill to know whether they had experienced any problem and to initiate corrective measures. According to the details received in the feedback form, security would be beefed up. SP M P Dinesh, Regional Transport Officer Jose Paul, novelist T D Ramakrishnan, film critic G P Ramachandran, Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes N Thulasidharan Pillai, Assistant Collector Mohammed Safarullah and Deputy Collector Ganeshan addressed the pilgrims. The personnel of the Motor Vehicles Department distributed leaflets and other material in Kannada,Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, English and Hindi on the precautions to be taken while driving the vehicle, the road signs to be followed and to avoid speeding.The Motor Vehicles Department also offered the 24 hour helpline numbers to the pilgrims if they face any difficulty during their travel in Kerala. Helpline numbers:09400044991, 0966501818. The number of the Police Department is 9846100100.