THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Only Brahmins are considered for appointment as priests at major Hindu temples like Sabarimala and Guruvayoor, and this discrimination clearly points to the fact that social justice is yet to prevail in Kerala, said Swami Satchidananda, head of Sivagiri Mutt and president of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust.
He was delivering the presidential address at the 169th birth anniversary celebrations of Sree Narayana Guru at the Sivagiri Mutt on Thursday.
“There is a condition in the appointment process that limits candidates to the Brahmin community. Social justice is still a mirage. Beyond the right to enter temples, people of marginalised communities deserve to be part of their administration,” he said.
The mutt head said Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati’s mention of the state secretariat as a “thampurankotta” still holds true.
“Successive state governments ignored the mutt’s demand to make ‘Daiva Dasakam’ the official prayer song. They have failed to ensure social justice. The social uplift and renaissance initiated by the Guru ended with his death. Kerala has made no progress since,” he said.
The birth anniversary celebrations were inaugurated by Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas. He said the country is witnessing several attempts to divide it.
“We should nurture the Guru’s vision that all religions and their faithful deserve equal respect. We should also embrace the idea that humans are one, cutting across boundaries of religion and caste. The Guru exhorted us to enrich ourselves through education. He asked people to view and analyse all religions with tolerance,” the minister said.
V Joy, MLA, echoed Satchidananda’s views.
“We have the right to enter and worship at temples. Yet, we are not appointed priests at certain temples. We should launch an agitation towards that end in the coming days,” he said, speaking at the event.
He pointed out that 45 youths from scheduled castes were appointed to different temples under the Devaswom Board despite challenges. The Guru’s followers should fight for their rights, he added.