Irinjalakuda Koodalamanikyam temple controversy; Kazhakam appointment suspended for one week

KOCHI: The High Court has stayed the appointment for the post of Kazhakam at the Irinjalakuda Koodalamanikyam temple from the Devaswom Recruitment Board rank list for a week. The vacation bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice PV Balakrishnan took the decision on a petition filed by Irinjalakuda Thekke Wariyath TV Harikrishnan, who claimed hereditary rights to the post. With this, the appointment of KS Anurag, a member of the Ezhava community and the second-rank holder on the list, will not be made immediately. The petition will be considered again on the 29th.

The appointment of Thiruvananthapuram native BA Balu as the kazhakakkaran by the Devaswom Recruitment Board became controversial after six thantris of the temple staged a boycott strike because he was a member of the Ezhava community. When Balu resigned and vacated the post, the Devaswom Recruitment Board sent an advice memo to Cherthala native KS Anurag.

The court said that the new appointment would be inappropriate until a detailed hearing on the petitions is held. The appointment was temporarily stayed subsequently. The selection of the two candidates was not in the presence of a representative of the Thantri family either. It was also directed that the Devaswom should submit a counter affidavit in this regard. The petition filed by the hereditary Kazhakam job holders, including the demand that the appointment from the rank list should not be confirmed, is under consideration.

Devaswom's hide-and-seek game without appointing someone from Ezhava community

The High Court's direction was prompted by the lapse in issuing the appointment order to Anurag by the Left-led Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Administrative Committee. Despite receiving the advice memo online on April 8 and by post two days later, the Devaswom did not take any action. Chairman Advocate CK Gopi also remained silent. Although the Devaswom Recruitment Board had inquired into the appointment yesterday, it withdrew, saying that the administrative committee meeting would take a decision. There were indications that the appointment was being prevented from taking place before the temple festival on May 8.