Travancore Devaswom Board meet to decide on posting of non-Brahmin priest

ALAPPUZHA: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is meeting on Wednesday in the state capital after its commissioner defied the direction of Devaswom secretary to effect the appointment of non-Brahmin priest Sudhikumar as Keezhasaanthi of Chettikulangara temple. If the TDB backs the commissioner, it will worsen the strained relations between the government and the board and lead to another legal battle. TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan said the three-month standoff was an agenda to be discussed at the meeting.

"I can’t say what the outcome would be," he told DC on Tuesday. He had on Saturday said it was the duty of the commissioner to implement the government decision. But commissioner C. P. Ramaraja Prema Prasad failed to act. The law secretary had said the TDB order was in violation of Supreme Court verdicts and constitutional values and hence the government should initiate contempt of court proceedings against officials responsible for such "a regressive order." However, Ajay Tharayil, a TDB member, is not convinced. He said Mr Sudhikumar should submit a fresh plea before the Board or go to court to sort out the issue.

"I don’t know about SC verdicts on non-Brahmin priests, and I have not read any. There is no point in him knocking on the door of Devaswom minister," he said. Asked why nobody informed Mr Sudhikumar of a fresh appeal, he said: “the Board had no time.” "Let the government go ahead with filing case against the responsible officials.” Mr Tharayil also claimed that government has no authority to issue an order to TDB. K. Raghavan, the only CPM member on the board, said he would raise a high pitch in the meeting to get government decision implemented. "I can’t predict the outcome. My voice is a minority. The decision will go to the majority," he said.