DMK's working president M.K. Stalin has urged the Govt. of Tamil Nadu to take adequate measures to appoint members of all castes as temple priests by following the 'Kerala' model.

Appointment of 36 non-Brahmins including 6 Dalits as temple priests in temples run by the Travancore Devasom Borad in Kerala has been lauded and appreciated by politicians across the country in general and by Dalit leaders in particular.  That the move has been initiated by Kerala, which thrives in archaic traditions in most issues, has come as a huge surprise for the people as well as political observers.

“The DMK passed in 2006 an act to make non-Brahmins also as priests in temple; training centres to teach vedic lessons/hymns were also set up.  We attempted to prove that everyone is equal in the Lord’s sanctum Sanctorum and that members of all castes should get the right to go anywhere in the temple.  In this backdrop, Kerala’s move in appointing non-Brahmins including Dalits as priests is highly appreciable.

“Social justice would prevail only when everyone – irrespective of his caste – is considered for appointment as priests once he acquires the necessary qualification.  It is time for Govt. of Tamil Nadu to take a lesson or two from our neighbor Kerala and appoint non-Brahmins as priests in temples managed by Hindu Religious & Endowment Board at once failing which the DMK would take to the field to protest with like-minded parties and organizations,” Stalin said in a statement.