UMHV launches ‘Alcohol-Free Deepavali’ campaign

By M. Prakala

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26: United Malaysian Hindu Voice (UMHV) has launched its Alcohol-Free Deepavali campaign to establish the celebration as an alcohol-free festival.

It’s president P. Navindran said Deepavali is an auspicious festival for Hindus and should be enjoyed securely with family members without the consumption of alcohol.

“Alcohol costs you more than just money,” he stated today in a statement.

“For the last five years, we’ve been running the CHEERS programme in conjunction with Deepavali, which stands for ‘Children at Home are Each and Everybody’s Responsibility.’

“We started this great initiative to encourage those who waste money on alcohol to contribute it to us so that we may spend it on children at home during Deepavali, as Indians often spend millions on alcohol during the festive season.”

“The first step toward recovery from alcoholism is recognizing that there is a problem.

“We must acknowledge that alcoholism has been a root cause of some significant ills in our society, and this will be a pivotal step towards bringing about a small change for the welfare of our community.

“Alcohol is a temporary pleasure with long-term consequences,” he continued.

“Let us be the change we wish to see in this community and let us do so this year by celebrating ‘Alcohol-Free Deepavali,'” he added.