Thanks to Sri Srinivasan Balaji for sharing this in FB…. 
This is the result of you giving up chanting of the Gayathri Mantram
We criticize people who forcibly cut the ‘PooNal’. But something like this happened when MahaPeriyava was physically alive. Some Brahmins went to him and complained. “Periyava, we are unable to step on to the road. Some athiests keep making fun of us. Sometimes they forcibly cut our ‘PooNal’. We are having to look out for them before we step out.”
MahaPeriyava replied, “If you are now scared of those people, they are not the reason for it. You have brought this upon yourselves. This is the result of you giving up chanting of the Gayathri Mantram. They have not risen up to your level. You have fallen down to their’s. Do chanting of the Gayathri Mantram consistently. Everything will become allright”