GEORGE TOWN: Anyone who was at Kampung Lorong Buah Pala yesterday would not have guessed that the villagers were facing an eviction order today, if he or she had not been following news.
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| A competitor trying to grab the bull by its horns during the Indian cultural and heritage festival at Kampung Lorong Buah Pala yesterday. — NST picture by GS Narinder Singh |
The villagers were in a festive mood and welcomed about 500 supporters and visitors to the village in Bukit Gelugor for what may be their final cultural event there.
Even the weather was kind -- sunny all day. The events started about 11.30am with a Hindu priest blessing the various venues for the day's activities, which included bullfighting, pole-climbing and a pot-breaking challenge .
The village was full of cheer and laughter as blindfolded women tried to break clay pots filled with water.
The bullfight was a crowd-pleaser as the men tried to grab a large bull by its horns to remove a cloth containing RM100 tied around it.
When the irritated bull proved too much, a smaller one was brought out.
But it, too, refused to play along, escaping from the pen and returning to its shed, much to the amusement of the crowd.
Another highlight was the pole-climbing competition that offered a RM1,000 prize, sealed in an envelope taped to the top of a grease-covered 10m-high pole.
There was also a display of Indian folk dance.
The village's residents' association chairman M. Sugumaran said the carnival was organised to coincide with the start of a religious month for Hindus.
"This is a chance to highlight various Indian traditions and culture."
The association also took the opportunity to inform the public about the negotiations between the state government and developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd.
"We do not know the deadline. We can only leave it to the state and the developer now," he said.
At a meeting with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Saturday, the residents had agreed, in principle, to relocate to an allocated area on the land pending details from the developer.
Sugumaran added Lim had promised them that they could live in the village although details remained sketchy.
Thousands of Kampung Lorong Buah Pala supporters also plan to turn up at the village today to safeguard the residents' homes.
The association's assistant secretary C. Tharmaraj said the residents were ready to be evicted but believed something positive would happen.
"I believe the developer will come any time now.
"But if the chief minister saves and preserves this village, like we are begging him to, he is the hero."
Tharmaraj disclosed that the cultural festival cost the residents RM10,000, which was raised through donations.
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