CHENNAI: Stating that Vadakalai and Thenkalai are like “two petals on one stem”, the Madras High Court has called for an end to divisions and urged both the sects to walk together in unity.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh, while dismissing pleas challenging the decision of a temple authority on the recital of Prabhandham, said both sects seek the same deity - Lord Venkateswara Perumal - and belong to Him.
“In the name of Acharyas, the quarrels still ignite, yet those wise souls now bask in the Lord’s pure light. Their journeys ended at His lotus feet so grant, while we, their children, still draw lines in the sand. Let us honour their path, let old divisions cease and walk together united in faith and peace,” the judge observed in a poetic note.
The petitions were filed by TAP Srirangachari and KB Srinivasan, seeking to quash a May 28, 2024, communication from the executive officer of Vilakoli Perumal Sri Vedantha Desikar Temple in Little Kancheepuram, which barred Thenkalai followers from reciting the Prabhandham even outside the temple during a procession.
They also wanted the authorities concerned to go by the order and decree passed in the early 1900s. The judge, however, said the high court cannot function as an executing court and advised the petitioners to approach the civil court to enforce the decree. Noting that disputes between the sects have often turned volatile, the judge said the temple executive officer wanted to avoid such a volatile situation.
Notice on petition to remove pellets along Kumari coast
Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the union and state governments on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition which had sought a series of directions, including the removal of plastic pellets and other hazardous materials from the sea along the Kanniyakumari coastline.
The hazardous materials were part of the cargo onboard the vessel MSC ELSA 3 of Liberia, which sank in the Arabian Sea near Kochi, Kerala, on May 24. The petitioners -- office bearers of the CPI (ML) -- demanded that the authorities declare the incident a state disaster.
The petitioners sought a direction to the authorities to declare the contents of the 643 containers of the vessel. A bench of justices S M Subramaniam and A D Maria Clete issued notice to the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, state disaster management and fisheries departments, among others, and adjourned the case.