Temple staff resort to stay-in strike

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 8. Normal activity was affected in 36,000 odd temples in the State today as temple employees went on a day's stay-in strike in support of their 15-point charter of demands.

Poojas, which are performed on ticket basis, could not be conducted as the employees did not issue the tickets. However, six `kala poojas' and archanas were conducted. Though archana is performed on payment only, priests said they did it freely today as they did not want to wound the feelings of devotees. But `abishegams' and other rituals were affected by the strike.

According to official sources, the strike was near-total with about 80 per cent of the employees participating. The staff are demanding pay parity with HR and CE staff, including pension and other benefits.

There are 31 major temples, 400 listed temples and 35,000 small temples in the State. Pay for temple employees is fixed on the basis of revenue of the temples. With the result in many small temples, priests and employees are getting a pay of less than Rs. 100 a month. Even this meagre salary is not paid regularly, according to employees.

Tirunelveli

More than 2,000 temple staff employed in about 2,100 big and small temples in the district participated in the strike. According to police sources, due to the strike of the temple staff, poojas were not held in the Arulmigu Nellayappar- Gandhimathi Ambal Temple, Arulmigu Salai Kumaraswamy Temple and other major temples in the district, even though the sanctum was kept open. At some places, the striking temple staff raised slogans pressing their demands.

Tiruchi

Normal work in the temples in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and Pudukottai districts were affected due to the strike.

Though the sanctum sanctorum and other shrines were kept open and poojas were performed in the leading temples there was no special alankarams or offerings.

Ramanathapuram

Of the total number of 213 employees working in the Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram, 199 employees participated in the strike.

Around 435 guides attached to the All India Pilgrim Guides Association, Rameswaram also participated in favour of the temple employees.

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Section  : Southern States
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