Plea in HC questions reserving submit of chief priest at Sabarimala for Malayali Brahmin group

By Express News Service
KOCHI: A professional priest on Friday approached the Kerala High Court stating that the appointment of clergymen within the Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples couldn’t be solely reserved for any caste. Vishnu Narayanan CV, 41, submitted that reserving the submit of Melsanthis at Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples for the Malayali Brahmin group is unconstitutional.

The notification issued by the Travancore Devaswom Board inviting functions for the posts of Sabarimala and Malikappuram Melsanthis stipulated that the candidates have to be from the Malayali Brahmin group. According to the petitioner, the appointment to the posts of Melasanthi was a secular act. Therefore, the posts couldn’t be reserved for one explicit group, particularly in an establishment administered by the government-controlled Travancore Devaswom Board.

The appointment of a priest ought to be constituted of amongst individuals properly versed, totally certified, and educated of their duties and mantras, tantras, and essential Vedas, no matter their caste, stated the petitioner. It couldn’t be solely reserved for any caste be it Malayali Brahmin or in any other case as such an act would immediately hit Article 14 of the Constitution. The petitioner had all different {qualifications} stipulated within the notification besides the requirement of being from the Malayali Brahmin group.

The petitioner sought to quash the requirement for individuals from the Malayali Brahmin group to use for the posts. The petitioner additionally urged the court docket to declare that each one individuals of Hindu faith having different {qualifications} are entitled to be appointed as Melsanthi within the Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples beneath the Travancore Devaswom Board.