Thiruvananthapuram | Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh on Friday demanded that the V D Satheesan government appoint a person from the Scheduled Castes (SC) community as president of at least one of the five Devaswom Boards in Keralam.
Speaking at a birth anniversary event of social reformer Ayyankali here in the presence of Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan, Kodikunnil said the government should "rewrite history" by giving a person from the SC community the opportunity to head one of the Devaswom Boards for at least a term.
He said there are five Devaswom Boards -- Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, Guruvayur and Koodalmanikyam -- but no person from the Scheduled Caste community has so far been appointed president of any of them.
"Is there even a single person from our community there for name's sake? Why can't one Chairman or President position in these five Devaswom Boards be given to a person from the Scheduled Caste community? Couldn't it be given for at least one term? Isn't that our right? It is not anyone's charity; it is our legitimate right," he said.
Kodikunnil said the demand was relevant on the birth anniversary of social reformer Ayyankali.
"The V D Satheesan government, which attempts to bring changes to everything and move towards a new era, must certainly rewrite that history. For us belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, a President post in at least one of these five Devaswom Boards for at least one term is something we are eligible to hold. That eligibility must be recognised and considered," he said.
Responding to reporters after the event, Muraleedharan said there was still time for the government to consider the demand as the present statutory boards had another year in office.
"He is a senior leader as well. So the government cannot simply reject what he says. In any case, we can consider it," Muraleedharan said.
He said the current chairpersons of most of the boards had more than a year remaining in their terms, while the Cochin Devaswom Board had around eight months left.
"I never reject anything Kodikunnil says," the minister added.
