'This is not my first time in a temple': Minister dismisses Thanthri Samajam's clarification

Thiruvananthapuram: Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan, who alleged he was discriminated against over his caste during an event at a temple recently, has dismissed the clarification of the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam that priests who perform 'deva pujas' do not touch anyone and that the entire issue was a 'misunderstanding'.

"If the priests won't touch anybody until the pooja in the sreekovil is over, then why did he come out in the middle of the puja in the first place? The incident did not take place inside the temple. The priests lit the lamp amid a heavy gathering. Did the priests not touch these people then? In that case, shouldn't the temple and its premises be cleaned for purity? This is not my first time in a temple. I have never seen anything like this anywhere else," said the minister.

Reiterating that money has no untouchability, he said: "If you pay the priest, they will take you inside and ensure the individual gets a better darshan of the idol. So money has no untouchability, but man does. I cannot agree to a system where people are still considered untouchable."

He further said there may be people who think such social evils are necessary. "However, others have the right to be in disagreement with it," he added.

"This is a country that pulled out the nails of a man because he asked for better wages. That cannot be justified as faith. Discrimination against Dalits is on the rise in the country. In this critical situation, if Kerala does not register its protest strongly, such incidents will happen here as well," said the minister.

The state committee of the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam said priests who are performing 'deva pujas' do not touch anyone, be it Brahmin or non-Brahmin, till the same is over. It wondered if there was any "ill intention" in stoking a controversy out of an issue that it claimed "technically ended eight months ago" and alleged "an innocent act" was being used to create communal polarisation.

The Samajam is an association of traditional high priests who are the authority on the rites and rituals practised in most of Kerala's shrines.

In the incident in question, the 'melshanti' (chief priest) -- who was performing a puja -- was asked at the last moment to come and light the lamp as the temple thanthri (traditional high priest) was absent. After lighting the lamp, he went back to complete the puja and the same was misunderstood as untouchability by the minister and he expressed his displeasure on the spot, the priests' body said in a Facebook post.

The organisation said that in Kerala, cleanliness observed in temples was purely spiritual and claimed it was not caste-based discrimination.

A serious case has been lodged against the two priests, who were working in a temple under the Malabar Devaswom Board, merely on the basis of their caste, it said.

It further claimed that ignoring the reality, some people were insulting the temple's melshanti and his community based on the minister's statement. "Such people are trying to misinterpret an innocent act and create communal tension in the society. This can only be considered as a move for creating communal polarisation by claiming the presence of untouchability in Kerala," it contended in the post.

The priests urged devotees not to get involved in such "malicious" controversies aimed at disrupting the communal harmony in the society. Speaking along similar lines, one of the two priests involved in the incident said there was no caste discrimination and the minister came for the event when they were conducting pujas in the temple. Once the temple doors are opened for devotees, there are pujas and rituals to be performed and that is why the co-priest kept the small lamp on the ground and hurriedly left, he said.

He also claimed that everything was done in accordance with the usual religious practices and customs.

On Tuesday evening, the CPM state secretariat condemned the incident and said it was 'shameful' for Kerala. The Left party said that at one time caste-based oppression, including untouchability was prevalent in the state, but it disappeared over time due to the Renaissance, nationalist and communist movements.

It also said social inequities that arose due to historical reasons are still prevalent and the government was working to find a solution for them. The CPM urged people to be vigilant against such practices and eradicate them.

Radhakrishnan, who hails from the Scheduled Caste community, had on Monday said two priests of a temple refused to hand over the small lamp they had brought to light the main lamp placed at the venue for marking the inauguration at the shrine. Instead, they themselves lit the main lamp, and after that placed the small lamp on the ground, thinking that he would take it, he had alleged.

Though the minister didn't reveal the name of the shrine, news channels aired the visuals of the recent inauguration of "nadapandal" at a temple in Payyanur in Kannur district, in which the minister participated.

It could be seen in the visuals that the priests were not handing over the small lamp to the minister and placing it on the ground. Radhakrishnan later said the caste system was a "stain" in the minds of certain people and it was not easy to remove it instantly.

He had also indicated he was not going to pursue any legal action against the discrimination he faced. On the other hand, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the alleged caste discrimination faced by his cabinet colleague and said follow-up action on the matter would be taken after discussing it with him.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan too had sought stringent action against the priests who allegedly discriminated against the minister. Radhakrishnan, a member of the central committee of the ruling CPM, is the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes and Devaswoms. He represents the Chelakkara constituency of Thrissur district.

(With PTI inputs)