THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, January 2, 2005: Two powerful community organizations of the Hindu fold in Kerala, the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), have sharply differed over the issue of appointment of non-brahmins as temple priests. While the NSS held that appointment of non-brahmins as priests would dilute the long-held customs and traditions of the Hindus in Kerala, SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan saw the NSS view as violative of the Apex Court order. In a resolution adopted by the NSS delegates’ meet at its headquarters at Prunna near Kottayam, the organization wanted the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to give up plans to appoint non-brahmins as priests. Though every Hindu had a right to hold any post in the Devaswom Board, priestly duties could not be carried out by anyone. Such moves would only result in creating divisions within the Hindu community, the NSS resolution said. Countering the NSS views on the vexed issue, Natesan, who heads SNDP, the socio-cultural organization of the Ezhava community, said opposing the appointment of non-brahmin priests ran counter to judgements by both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court on the issue. Talking to reporters at Nedumbassery airport, Natesan said it was also important that priests were interviewed by the ‘Tantris’ – traditional authorities on temple matters hailing from brahmin families — to ensure that they had proper qualifications for the job.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike