Chennai: The Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) in Tamil Nadu said that no standing priests will be removed following the appointment of 58 trained priests from all castes and that a few people are spreading malicious campaigns around the government’s decision.
During an interview with reporters in Chennai, Sekar Babu said retired priests are still allowed to perform their services on a humanitarian basis by HR&CE. ‘With the sole purpose of making the next generation of youth adhere to the path of belief in God, 58 people who completed their archakar training and studied agama shastras have been appointed to temples under HR&CE. All of them are under 35 years old. Chief Minister MK Stalin has taken measures like this with a vision to make a strong foundation for the next generation,’ he said.
It has been reported on certain channels as well as social media that the government has introduced a scheme against priests. ‘Hindutva supporters are jobless and thus involved in these fake campaigns,’ he added. The minister said like Suhanjana Gopinath, the first female odhuvar- one who chants hymns before the deity who has been enthroned at the Dhenupureeswarar temple at Madambakkam in Chennai, the government has appointed only archakars well-versed in all the Agama shastras.
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‘Putting an end to someone’s job, or removing them from their job, is a problem we should address immediately. They can approach us if their job is taken away. Archakars have not been appointed or anything has been done in the last 10 years. The DMK government has resurrected the department, which had become a mess, he said.
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