Non-Brahmin archakas, who were trained by the State between 2007 and 2008 for placement as priests in Hindu temples, are urging the government to expedite the appointments since they say the Supreme Court has upheld the Government Order confirming the right of members of all communities to take up the job of priests.
However, the lack of response from the government to their pleas has put the 206 trained priests in a spot. In December last year, the Supreme Court, while upholding the validity of prevailing “usage” in the Agama temples as a deterministic factor in priest appointments, refused to strike down the 2006 G.O. allowing all communities to become archakas.
According to these trained non-Brahmin priests, the court had made it clear that caste, or any other such constitutionally invalid criteria, cannot be the basis for such appointments.
However, the response to the verdict was mixed. Since the Supreme Court had said that “usage” prevalent in the particular temple would guide priest appointments, there was a fear that this automatically excluded all communities other than Brahmins from becoming archakas.
For example, in many Vaishnavite agama temples, the usage was that only members of particular denominations, such as specific gothras, could be appointed.
While agreeing that the verdict has left “many questions unanswered,” V. Ranganathan, president Tamil Nadu Government Trained Archakas Association, said after the apex court verdict, a few trained non-Brahmin priests had written to the government as early as in January to consider them for existing vacancies.
“Unless the appointments are made, there is no way to clarify and confirm the implication of the verdict. Since the verdict expressly states caste cannot be the basis of appointments, we want the government to give us the job we were promised in 2008,” he said.
The representations were sent to the Chief Minister’s Special Cell.
“The government should come out and say what its position on the verdict is. We want to know whether they are in agreement with the verdict or they want to review it,” he said.
After the verdict, a few trained non-Brahmin priests had written to the govt seeking appointment
