B. Nagaraja Shetty

Bangalore: The State Government has yet to implement a circular issued 20 years ago to appoint people from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to posts in Hindu temples that come under the Department of Religious Institutions and Endowments.

There are 34,194 temples under the department. In the circular issued on February 28, 1987, the Government directed the department to give equal opportunity to all castes while filling various posts in temples, except that of priest.

This was stated in a written reply given by Minister for Fisheries and Muzrai B. Nagaraja Shetty to S. Balaraj in the Legislative Assembly. The wages of the staff of a temple are paid from the income generated by it. Since the wages in most temples are meagre, there are very few who are interested. Even so, action was being taken to appoint Dalits to all posts, including some that are hereditary, the Minister said.

However, those who wanted to become priests should have passed the Agama examination conducted by the Government. Students of Maharaja Sanskrit College, Mysore (Agama Division), and Government Sanskrit College, Melkote, are taught agama subjects and they can become priests.

The Minister said arrangements had been made in 27 institutions across the State where the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students could study the Agama subjects. They are given scholarship and lodging. Students from other castes could also study in these institutions.

Reservation

Mr. Shetty said introduction of reservation in hereditary temple posts was being considered.

There are two categories of posts in temples: those within the precincts of the temple and those outside. The former include priest, agamika, upadhivantha, pachaka, sthanika, paricharaka, joisa, sreepada, srigandha, kattige and people who recite the vedas, hymns, prabhandas and puranas within the precincts of the temple, astrologers and others who help conduct rituals and festivals. Those who work outside are parupattedars, cooks, rangavalli, instrument players, peshkars, bill collectors, clerks, typist and others such as cleaners and watchmen.

Petition to Governor

Some months ago, the Akhila Bharata Hindu Temple Priests, Agamikas and Upadhivanthas Federation urged Governor T.N. Chaturvedi to direct the Government to order a survey of all the temples under the control of the Muzrai Department and monitor the income coming to the State exchequer. It said that no survey of the temples had been held for over 50 years.

It said 60 per cent of the temples were in bad shape. The income of these temples was around Rs. 389.89 crore between 1997 and 2003, and the annual income was rising at the rate of 20 per cent. The federation wanted to know where the money was going. Was it fair to divert temple funds for other purposes, it asked and demanded action against those who had decided to divert the money.

The federation also wanted action against those who had encroached upon temple and Muzrai land by creating fictitious records.

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