As is well known, Madras Presidency suffered a grievous famine between 1875 and 1877. This has been well documented and there are also some very heart rending photographs of the starving people. In Madras, work began on the Adyar Junction (now Buckingham) Canal as a famine relief measure.

Elsewhere in Mayiladuthurai, the District Munsiff Vedanayagam Pillai organised relief measures with such munificence that the composer Gopalakrishna Bharathi created a song on him, now lost, which described him as Purusha Meru.
Vedanayagam Pillai composed Panjam Theer Aiya, a prayer to the Lord to end the scourge. Recently, I was asked to select a song that best describes the current situation, especially the plight of migrants and I chose this. I have translated the lyrics into English to the best of my abilities though I must admit it is nowhere near the spirit of the original. Those who can read Tamil are lucky and I have appended photos of the lyrics as taken from an old edition of Vedanayagam Pillai’s songs that I have. It makes you want to weep. But I am sure all will be well. As we survived that famine and much else, here too we will triumph.
Panjam Theer Ayya


Rid us of this Scourge O Lord,
Who else is our refuge, dear God?
Like the avaricious
The clouds have proved treacherous
Our minds lose hope and waver
Your lotus feet are our only succour (Rid us…)
Without food they stay
For many, many a day
Rags on their waist
A begging bowl raised
Their shrivelled bodies now bones
Millions shelter in the woods, away from homes
No houses or hearths
No water to quench thirsts
And no food on offer
With none to drive away their hunger
Almost everyone is a beggar
Many more have departed forever (Rid us…)
Wives abandoned by husbands
Parents leaving aside infants
They ate roots, tuber and leaves
And extended their palms for charities
They gave up their fields and lands
Their wives sold their wedding bands
Some worked as domestic labour
Others took jobs that demanded rigour
But most were exhausted and sick
Infants cried out for their mothers’ milk (Rid us…)
Never have we seen a famine like now
Most homes have not lit a stove
Like poison rise the prices
Our troubles resemble high rises
We have in truth wilted
Our hearts are melted
Our gait falters and totters
Our tears are flowing like rivers
There are millions begging on the streets
Night and day you can hear their shrieks (Rid us…)
As the lakes and rivers dry up
The fire from the skies shows no let up
As the cattle and goats die and rot
As the fire destroys what little we have got
The weak have taken to begging
The low resort to exploiting
Some shut their doors fast
The good see this aghast
As bodies shrivel and people fall
Without your grace there is no hope at all (Rid us…)
In front of my eyes many have gone, alas!
Like cows others have foraged trees, leaves and grass
Countless dried up like sticks
And having thinned, suffered and become twigs
Many pine, others faint forlorn
People flock to buy food, while others pawn
Thus the earth has darkened its face
O Lord of the Vedas, our only hope is your grace (Rid us…)
You may want to read these other stories on Vedanayagam Pillai
very good work, Sir.
Pramadham Sriram. Very nice translation.
காலத்தால் அழிக்க இயலா காவியம் இக்கவிதை. கண்களில் நீர் ததும்பியது உண்மை. நன்றி. If you have time please visit prabhusponder.com . Thanks
Sure, I will