CHENNAI/PUDUCHERRY: The Tamil Nadu Association for Trained Archakas and the Makkal Urimai Pathukappu Maiam on Tuesday welcomed the Madras High Court that caste has no role in the appointment of archakas to the temples. However, they said the HC ruling is insufficient and the state should amend the HR and CE law to ensure that members of all castes become archakas in all temples.
V Ranganathan, president of Tamil Nadu Association for Trained Archakas, and advocate S Vanchinathan, state coordinator of Makkal Urimai Pathukappu Maiam, in a joint statement, said, “We request the government to bring amendment or new law under Section 55 of the HR and CE Act by invoking article 25(2)(b) of the Constitution to the effect that no person shall be entitled to appointment as an archaka and pujari merely on the ground that he belongs to a particular caste, denomination or sect or any section by birth, or claiming any right under Agamas, customs and usages and judgments, orders and degrees obtained before the Constitution of India came into effect.”
Ranganathan and Vanchinathan said only this amendment would be a permanent solution to end the ‘karuvarai theendamai’ (sanctum sanctorum untouchability). Brahmin archakas of major temples which have large revenue treat them as their assets and don’t move the court saying they are hereditary archakas and archakas based on their castes. Instead, they describe themselves as belonging to a religious denomination and that they are descendants of four great rishis and have been performing poojas as custom of the particular temple.
Both of them said since the issue of religious denomination has not been raised in the Sugavaneswarar temple case, the issue remains to be resolved. Also, there are possibilities for certain archakas to challenge this verdict. Further, the HR and CE department is yet to challenge the verdict of the Madras High Court given in October 2022 that employee rules 7 and 9 of the HR and CE department regarding the appointment of archakas are invalid.
VCK MP’s plea to Pondy CM
Meanwhile, VCK leader and MP D Ravikumar urged Puducherry CM N Rangasamy to appoint archakas from all castes in the temples in Puducherry union territory.
Ravikumar said there are 231 temples in the UT under the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions in Puducherry with 179 in the Puducherry region, 49 in Karaikal and three in Yanam. For facilitating training, the Puducherry government should also start priest training schools.