ALAPPUZHA: The appointment of non-Brahmins as priests in the Sabarimala temple would be considered only after reaching a consensus at the social and legal level, according to Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
He told DC that the government favoured the appointment of non-Brahmin priests to all temples.
"However, in the case of Sabarimala temple, more discussions are required," he said.
It may be recalled that he had termed the recent appointment of 39 non-Brahmin priests, including six dalits, in the Travancore Devaswom Board temples as a silent revolution.
He had also indicated that more such appointments would be considered and that there were over 3,000 vacancies in different shrines managed by five boards - TDB, Cochin Devaswom, Malabar Devaswom, Guruvayur Devaswom and Koodalmanikayam Devaswom.
When asked about the petition of a non- Brahmin priest, Vishnu Narayanan, whose application for the selection of melsanthi to Sabarimala and Malikappuram was kept in abeyance, he said the government was waiting for the High Court verdict in this regard.
The trial in his case in the court had ended on October 3. The draw to select the melsanthis of Sabarimala and Malikappuram is slated to be held on October 17.
In 1983, Mathanam Vijayan thantri, who had qualified in the interview for the Sabarimala temple, was not selected as he was a non- Brahmin.
