Malala Yousafzai invited to join ‘Onam’ celebrations

Thiruvananthapuram: Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai has been invited by a group of Kerala school students, who have been motivated by her activities, to join them for Kerala's harvest festival 'Onam' next month.

The children from class I to XII and belonging to different schools and of various backgrounds from the sleepy village of Koonamoochy in the district have sent her a letter along with the invite for 'Onam', the most popular of all festivals in the state, falling on August 27 and 28.

They are members of a students group 'Shreyas Vidyarthi Koottayma' which had been staging various programmes based on 18-year old Malala's activities.

The students were being motivated by Malala's example and her thrust on education despite various odds, P J Staiju, Co-ordinator of the group and a Sanskrit teacher of the Mattam Higher Secondary School, told PTI on Thursday.

'We have staged various programmes based on Malala's activities so that young children will be inspired', he said.

Along with the photographs of their activities and a letter, the invitation for 'Onam' was sent to Malala on July 20, he said. Staiju said the children also celebrated Malala's birthday on July 12 with a cake baked in the shape of a book.

They also took out a procession to demonstrate that books and pen were the main instruments to change the world.

'Your words about forgiveness, love and education inspired us so much so that we consider you as a person one among us,' the letter addressed to Malala said.

Malala and Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi were awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.