Madras HC allows TN govt rule to appoint non-Brahmin priests in temples

The Madras High Court on Monday allowed the Tamil Nadu government to appoint non-Brahmin trained priests in temples across the state.

However, it has appointed a five member committee to guide the appointments in certain temples as per specific agamas that are followed there.

While hearing a bunch of public interest litigations related to the appointments of archakas (priests) in temples, the Bench headed by the Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala, said that the committee would be headed by M Chockalingam, a retired judge of Madras High Court. The committee consists of two members appointed by the government.

One of the major contentions of the petitioners was that the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious Institutions Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules came into effect from 2020. It is alleged that the rules would affect the system of appointing priests – who learnt Saiva or Vaishnava agamas – in temples which followed those specific agamas.

The court-appointed committee will guide the government in the appointments of agama-specific priests to temples.

Interestingly, on the same day, the state launched after 14 years six non-Brahmin priest training centres where candidates will undergo one-year training in temple rituals. About 200 students aged between 14 and 24, would undergo the training.

These centres were launched in 2007 by the then chief minister M Karunanidhi. In 2008, a total of 240 students passed out. While three students were appointed in the temples, others were left in the lurch due to a series of court cases. Subsequently, the centres were also closed.

After DMK returned to power in 2021, Chief Minister MK Stalin handed over appointment letters to 23 priests trained in these centres. As on date, as many as 26 non-Brahmin priests are working in various temples.

Welcoming the court’s decision of upholding the state rules, V Ranganathan, president, Tamil Nadu Association for Trained Archakas however objected to forming a committee.

“The forming of a committee is unwanted. Though the members of the committee include experts from Saiva agama, Vaishnava agama, an official from HR&CE and a Sanskrit expert, the report would be obvious. It will favour only the Brahmin priests. Besides, when you appoint priests as per agamas, you basically discriminate temples as Brahmin temples and Shudra temples,” he said.