Pongal festival
Gary MAAS (Narre Warren South) (10:05): I recently had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Multicultural Affairs at the Tamil festival, Australia’s Thai Pongal event, on 27 January. I was there with many of my parliamentary colleagues in fact over at Tunstall Park in Nunawading. Thai Pongal is traditionally a harvest festival during Tamil Heritage Month, and it celebrates the cultural richness within our vibrant community. The Tamil Festival Australia event really was a joyous occasion, with over 5000 attendees experiencing the variety of stalls, food, entertainment and cultural performances that showcased Tamil traditions and heritage. Tamil heritage of course is drawn from Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia, and seeing all those communities come together to display their cultural pride and promote understanding and appreciation amongst the wider community really was something to behold.
Cultural festivals like Thai Pongal play a crucial role in preserving and passing down traditions, and they create a real sense of belonging and identity which contributes to our multicultural Victoria. I am really wrapped to be a part of an Allan Labor government that supports this festival, with $400,000 over four years as a part of our 2022 election commitment. I commend Tamil Festival Australia, Mr Sivasuthan and all the volunteers for putting on such a special event, which means so much to so many.