MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Movement Honourary President SK Mahendran has urged the state government to file an appeal against the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court's judgement on cancelling appointments of non-brahmins at Tiruchy Kumara Vayalur Subramania Swamy Temple. The court cancelled the appointments of two non-brahmins, Prabhu and Jeyapaul, against the Indian constitution, he opined.
"In 1970, then Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi passed a GO to appoint non-brahmins as priests in all Hindu temples. Though this order was challenged, it got ratified in 2015 by the court. Following this, many non-brahmins got training and 27 of them got appointments recently. However, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court cancelled appointments of two non-brahmins in favour of Sanathana Dharma," he said, adding that 32 non-brahmins, including six persons from scheduled communities, were appointed as priests in temples of Kerala.
He further pointed out that Justice AK Rajan committee, which was appointed for reviewing the 'Everyone can become a priest' scheme, in its report clearly mentioned that only 28 of 116 priests working in the Meenakshi Amman temple received proper training and the remaining were appointed traditionally. "The committee recommended that anyone can become a priest after getting proper training. If the state government fails to file an appeal against the court order, we will file an appeal. If the government goes for the appeal, we will also implead with the government. Since courts are continuously giving judgements in favour of Sanathana Dharma, it is mandatory to follow the reservation system in appointments of judges," added Mahendran.