The Hindu : Kerala News : Sudhakaran gets tough with tantris

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Sunday, Apr 29, 2007
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Kerala

Sudhakaran gets tough with tantris

Special Correspondent

Minister says they should not `interfere' in other issues

Change with the times, Sudhakaran tells tantris.

KOZHIKODE: Minister for Devaswom G. Sudhakaran said here on Saturday that the tantris of temples should change with the times.

He was inaugurating the distribution of grants for renovation of temples in Malabar.

Mr. Sudhakaran said tantris need be concerned only about temple rituals and should not interfere in other issues.

The Minister said though Kerala Congress leader P.J. Joseph resigned his Ministership, when allegations were levelled against him, the tantri against whom allegations had been levelled had not resigned.

About allowing playback singer K.J. Yesudas into the Guruvayur temple, Mr. Sudhakaran said all he had done was to write to the temple devaswom urging that the singer be allowed into the temple. No proclamation was needed to enable a true devotee to enter the temple, he said.

Mr. Sudhakaran criticised the management of the devaswom boards of Travancore and Cochin and alleged they were ridden with irregularities. The Government did not wish to interfere in the affairs of devaswom boards, but it would not tolerate irregularities either. All actions taken by the Government so far had been done only to check the alleged irregularities in the devaswom boards, Mr. Sudhakaran said.

Social issue

Later speaking after presenting the best Madhyavarjana worker award to Antony Kalarikkal, State vice-president of the Madhyavarjana Samithi, Mr. Sudhakaran said the question of who should be allowed entry into the Guruvayur temple was a social issue. "It is not for the `tantri' to decide on such matters. The Government has the right to decide on such matters. But it will not take unilateral decisions," he said.

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