The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Move to dismiss non-Brahmin priests opposed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 06, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Move to dismiss non-Brahmin priests opposed

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Travancore Devaswom Employees' Confederation has said that the employees will protest against any move to dismiss from service the non-Brahmins appointed as priests in the temples managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, confederation secretary K.K. Padmanabhan said that the confederation would resist any move to remove non-Brahmin priests from service.

He said that these priests were appointed by the board legally and on the merit of their qualification. The non-Brahmins were given training in puja and other rituals in the classes organised by the board when Prakkulam Bhasi was president.

More than 40 persons belonging to various communities of Hindu religion were now employed at different temples under the TDB.

Rakesh from North Paravur was appointed as priest when N. Bhaskaran Nair was the TDB president.

Mr. Padmanabhan said that the present controversy over the appointment of non-Brahmins as priests was aimed at retracing the social progress made by Kerala.

He demanded that the board employees deputed on duty at Sabarimala should be given insurance and arrangements should be made for the treatment of the employees who fall ill at Sabarimala.

Arrangements should also be made to take those who fall ill while on duty at Sabarimala to their homes.

The confederation also demanded that the technical staff of the board should be given their legitimate promotion instead of appointing assistant engineers from outside.

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