HR & CE Minister Sekar Babu on a roll

Mannar Koil Archaka case: Will not revise salary upwards, will appeal to the High Court

Will fight every activism boldly and without fear, says P.K. Sekar Babu

Dramatic increase in renovation exercises in TN temples in the last two years, cites all caste Archakas, Lady Othuvars and Tamil Archanai as significant milestones

Over the last two years, there has been a refreshing change at the HR & CE, something that one had not seen in the last two decades. A vibrant and a highly devotional minister who is seen at some temple or the other every day of the year. No HR & CE minister has been as active as P.K. Sekar Babu. A distinguishing feature of his engagement since the time he took charge exactly two years ago is his feet on the ground. Clearly he has established himself as someone who is not an armchair minister sitting in the comforts of the AC room and dishing out orders from the HR & CE headquarters.

At Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, his visits for darshan in the last year or so would have overtaken the combined number of trips made by all the HR & CE ministers over the last two decades. When there was an allegation against the Board of Trustees at the Adhi Kesava Perumal temple in August 2021, he was physically present at the temple (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/09/kesava-perumal-temple-mylapore-nc.html?m=1). Last week he was in Madurai ahead of the Chitrai Utsavam to ensure that the preparations were in order. 

After an hour long video call with his team members, he sat down for an exclusive chat with this writer at the HR & CE headquarters late on Wednesday evening ready to take up any kind of questions and as he has always been with this writer over the last two years providing straight in the face answers to hard hitting questions.

Mannar Koil Archaka Salary Case

This section had featured a story last month on the Madurai High Court’s order directing the HR & CE to fix up a pay scale for PS Narasimha Gopalan, the archaka at the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannar Koil near Ambasamudram and the service personnel at the temple meeting at least the requirements as per the minimum wages act and this within 8 weeks of the order. A month has passed and the archaka had told this writer earlier this week that there had been no update on the revision in salary (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/04/mannar-koil-archakar-wins-salary-case.html). 

When queried on this, Sekar Babu clarified the HR & CE’s stance on this issue. Every temple is independent and the salaries of the staff would have to come from the income of the temple. When queried further on using financial resources from the ‘Contribution fund’, he said that the fund could not be used to provide salary to each and every archaka in temples across TN and the salary will clearly have to come from each of these temple’s income. He confirmed to this writer that the HR & CE would not be revising upwards the salary of the archaka and that they would soon go on appeal against the order of the High Court.

Unfazed by Temple Activists

Temple Activists have been aggressive over the last few years and those like TR Ramesh (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/02/tr-ramesh-temple-activist.html) have been moving with clear intent to get the HR & CE out of temples. The most recent development has been of Ramesh working with Subramaniam Swamy to move the Supreme Court on issues relating to the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. Sekar Babu is simply unfazed with such activism “We are ready to face the toughest of challenges as we are clear that we are working towards the development of temples. We will face the cases boldly without any fear.”

'Own Your Temple' Campaign sees a Silent Death

When the temple activists called for a mega launch of their ‘Own Your Temple’ Campaign on the Vinayaka Chathurthi day last year at the Kapaleeswarar temple, they probably underestimated the strength of Sekar Babu (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/08/kapali-temple-own-your-temple-launch.html). While the event attracted a sizeable crowd and went on for about an hour with the organisers announcing that they would hold similar events at the Parthasarathy temple, Madhava Perumal temple, Mundakanni Amman and Muppaathamman temple in the near future, Sekar Babu and the HR & CE responded with FIRs. Soon the organisers were asked to report at the Kutcheri Road Police Station. This section featured two long stories on the campaign but six months have since passed and not a word has been heard since, on the campaign.

Grand Allocation for Renovation in TN Temples

He points to  developmental initiatives  undertaken by him in the last two years. There has been a significant recovery of temple lands under his reign. The number of listings for consecrations has shot up dramatically to over 650. 

In fact this section had featured a story in February 2019 (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/02/renovation-issues-in-tn-temples.html) as to how renovation exercises had dropped dramatically after the High Court order restraining repairs work. Sekar Babu rolls out numbers endorsing the surge in Kumbhabisekams and Samprokshanams in the last two years. 

He is proud on the huge allocation of over Rs. 100crores that had been made for the renovation and consecration of 1000+year old temples. Over a 100 such temples had seen consecration in 2022-23 and close to another 100 is on the anvil this year, he said. 

He said that over 700 other temples have now been listed for renovation exercises and consecration and those will take place over a period of time. 

Multi Crore Budget for Remote Temples

He said that since the time he took charge two years ago, he went around remote temples in Tamil Nadu and provided a multi crore allocation for temples without oil and where archakas had no salary. He specifically pointed out that over a 100 temples in the Kanyakumari district had received an allocation of Rs. 15lakhs each for renovation and that another 100 temples in that region will receive a similar amount this year. 

He said that the Pudukottai Devasthanam had received an increased outlay from the HR & CE.

His ministry has made a first of its kind move in history relating to the temples under the Thanjavur Palace. “A majority of the close to 90 temples in Thanjavur were struggling for funds and even daily pooja. For the first time in history, we have allocated over Rs. 3crores for the running of these temples.”

Kanchi Varadar - Thenkalai vs Vadakalai

In January 2019, this section had featured a story on the ugly battle between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects of Vaishnavites at Pazhaya Seevaram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/01/pazhaya-seevaram-battle-for-vaishnavite.html). It is now just under a month to go for the start of this year's Vaikasi Brahmotsavam at Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram.

The ongoing battle between Thenkalai and Vadakalai sects has taken an even uglier turn in recent years leading to the suspension of the Ghosti. This writer put the question to Sekar Babu if he could moderate the issues and find a solution to the raging issue and if the Prabhandham Ghosti could be revived at the Brahmotsavam later this month. He once again comes back strong narrating what he experienced at the meeting he personally anchored "I anchored a three hour meeting at the Secretariat between the two sects personally trying to solve the differences. But I was shocked to find that it was like a street fight. What more can I do? The court has asked them to sort out the differences amongst themselves. If they do that over the next fortnight or so, it will be good to have the Prabhandham Ghosti and the Vedic Recital."

Thiruvalluvar Temple in Mylapore

In Mylapore, he said that the Thiruvalluvar temple will see a Rs. 15crore renovation that will start within the next three months “It was Kalaignar Karunanidhi who initiated the previous renovation of this ancient temple. It was also under his leadership that Valluvar Kottam and the stature of Thiruvalluvar was built in Kanniyakumari. The temple in Mylapore will receive a never before seen facelift and the technicians and engineers have already begun the background work.”

New Long Term JC at Kapali Temple

Temple Activist TR Ramesh has often been vocal on the Kapaleeswarar Temple and how he is keen to get the EOs out of such temples. Sekar Babu remains defiant on such calls and said that a new permanent Joint Commissioner will be appointed for the Kapali temple before the end of this month. Following the demise of D Kaveri, R Hariharan, Verification-DC, had taken temporary charge as the EO in December last.

A Highly Devoted Minister

Sekar Babu has no qualms about moving around with the common man especially devotees inside temple. Two years ago, when a Sripatham person at Kapaleeswarar temple tried to stop a devotee from approaching the minister, Sekar Babu issued a stern warning asking him to refrain from such moves in the future. He listens to the issues of people, is simple as a person and very high on devotion. A couple of weeks ago during the Ramanuja Utsavam, he was at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/07/thiruvallikeni-prabhandham-ghosti.html) and moved around sannidhis almost unnoticed. After darshan at the Sannidhis, he sat in front of the Dwajasthambam and went into a silent prayer for almost 10 minutes with his eyes closed invoking the blessings of Lord Parthasarathy. 

He counts decisions on all caste archakas, lady othuvars and archanai in Tamil as significant milestones under his leadership over the last couple of years.

Time will tell on the outcome of temple activism in Tamil Nadu but for now HR & CE minister is on a roll moving each day from one temple to another personally monitoring the action on the ground. Many bouncers may come his way in the future but Sekar Babu is a determined man and a gritty fighter. More than anything else he is devotionally inclined and offers his prayers at temples all the time he as a simple devotee.