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A 23-year-old Dalit priest in Kerala has stepped down from his position, alleging that he faced caste-based discrimination, intimidation and false accusations during his tenure.
P.R. Vishnu had first been appointed as a part-time priest at the Malikampeedika Vathurakkavu Temple in Alangad in Ernakulam district. After clearing a written examination and interview conducted by the Travancore Devaswom Recruitment Board, he later took over as the regular priest, replacing the previous one after four months.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Vishnu said he was motivated to take up the priesthood because of his faith in Sanatan Dharma. However, he alleged that from the time of his appointment, efforts were made to portray him as dishonest, Siasat Daily reported.
He recounted that the gold ornaments on the temple idol had been swapped with fake jewellery and said he became suspicious and had the items checked by a goldsmith, which, according to him, narrowly saved him from being falsely labelled a thief.
Vishnu, whose father works as a daily wage labourer and whose mother is a homemaker, said that the hostility extended to his family as well. In a police complaint, he named individuals linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-affiliated Devaswom Employees Confederation, accusing them of creating an intimidating work environment.
Responding to the allegations, Prajith Kumar, the state president of the Devaswom Employees Confederation, said the organisation did not condone caste-based discrimination against priests appointed by the Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner and warned that action would be taken against any staff found to have humiliated Vishnu.