A relative of mine who works for a leading newspaper in Chennai forwarded to me this morning — 18 August 2022 — the published report below :
As a Sri Vaishnava I read the above news report and was deeply saddened by its contents. It made wonder why no religious organisation (muttams, charitable institution, volunteer-group of Sri Vaishnava community) was stepping forward to do something immediately to address the situation of the Pey Azhwar avatara-sthalam and restore it to proper condition?
If left unattended I fear the property of this heritage-site will simply be taken over by land-grabbers and encroachers and an Azhwar avatara-sthalam will be lost permanently to the Sri Vaishnava community at large.
From some knowledgeable sources within the community I learn that the property on which the Azhwaar birthplace is situate is a disputed one.
Three different Tenkalai Sri Vaishnava factions are reportedly at loggerheads over its ownership — one group belongs to the Kesava Perumal temple group , another Madhava Perumal temple group and then there is the powerful Tiruvellikeni Temple group .
All 3 groups it seems have been playing a zero-sum game (Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry!) against each other to go on mutually frustrating one another from taking possession of the heritage-site’s private landed property and maintaining it on an ongoing basis.
The Vadakalai Sri Vaishnava groups do not wish to enter the fray to volunteer help… that would only add fuel to fire. The angels do not wish to rush in where only fools would venture …
The sthalam is surrounded by Muslim community residents . I believe there are also a couple of butcheries close to the Azhwaar birthplace .
What a pathetic and shameful state of the Sri Vaishnava community indeed — not even God can save us.
Ultimately, I am afraid, the property will be taken over by the HRCE Dept. citing negligence and apathy of the Sri Vaishnava community. There would then be a public outcry of course raised by the “community-champions” and self-appointed spokespersons (attired in glorious and sanctimonious Sri Vaishnava stripes and raiment!) for a few days —- just to gain TRP and publicity for themselves . Then everything will soon fade away and be simply forgotten. A civil suit eventually will be filed in courts by some busybody maverick Sri Vaishnava and the matter will rot there for ages under a judicial stay order. Lawyers, bless them, as always, will keep collecting their fees for years.
Cynical Sri Vishnavas will sit at home after a nice afternoon meal and piously declare with a prim, glib smirk on their faces, “idhuvam bhagavanin leelaigal dhaaney”!
Meanwhile the avataara sthalam itself will go on rotting and decaying even more and the spirit of Pey Azhwaar will continue to languish in limbo .
M.K. Sudarshan