Tamil Nadu yet to get non-Brahmin priests

The Kerala government’s move to appoint non-Brahmins as temple priests earned praise all across Tamil Nadu,  from political leaders as well as actors.

But Tamil Nadu itself is yet to appoint 206 government-trained priests from all castes in the government-run temples, even nine years after they were awarded certificates for completing the one-year priest training course.

Following up his government’s decision to do away with the hereditary system of appointment of priests to check Brahmin domination in 1970, the then DMK government, led by M Karunanidhi, in 2006 declared in the state assembly that it had removed the thorn from social reformer Periyar’s heart through an order which allowed people of all communities, with the required qualification and training, to become priests in Hindu temples.

The government trained 206 persons, including 24 belonging to SC/ST and three Brahmins, in 2007-08 with the assurance of appointments in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment-administered temples. However, the sanctum sanctorum of government-run temples remain out of their bounds. The legal hurdle that prevented their appointments was removed when the Supreme Court in 2015 upheld the 2006 order enabling the appointment of trained priests from all castes.

While the non-Brahmin trained priests are fighting for their rights, two of the three trained Brahmin priests are reportedly officiating in the HR and CE temples in Trichy and Nagercoil under the abolished “hereditary system”.