In many temples, the service to the deity is performed by a family of Brahmins, over generations. Does one know how much money they make? If they were solely after money, they wouldn’t be there – they would also turn to ‘n’ number of other areas, to try and make more money. The service to Deity, is not just another profession. And there is some sanctity associated with it and the place is a Sanctum Sanctorum. Simply because I learn the slokas and shastras will not make me eligible to be a priest, while I would use the most vulguar language, bathe once in a week, spit on the deity, eat non-veg food which would smell all over the temple et al.
There may be a few exceptions every where. But that doesn’t mean ‘teach the Brahmin priests a lesson’. There would have been no need for a discussion on this, if it was some thing like the ‘n’ number for family politics going on – though other parties are welcome, the families have the muscle and money power to be all powerful at all times. This is not the case with the poor Brahmin priests – thing of how they could be simply muscled out – after all, as your friend said, this is the only remaining ‘Brahmin bastion’! Brahmins by nature are soft-hearted and cannot take rude, harsh and unfair aggression.
Where is the need for this so-called ‘liberal law’? The Government is blind and only after power and money – and towards this end, they would do anything that’s ‘populist’. As one friend said ‘Let these people first say ‘there is God’ – after that, let them ink the letter which says any caste can be priests!’. In any case, there are other Hindus who are priests at other Hindu temples (e.g., kali temple) – who stops them at all? In fact, simply when the govt. ask to stop killing and sacrifice of animals at temples, there was such a huge protest – and this had to be reversed. Doesn’t this show a major difference between the two communities in Hindus – one which would’t even dream of killing an animal and the other that thinks killing and sacrifice of animals and eating of non-veg is all normal. Is it ok for a Brahmin priest to be the Pope of Vatican or the Prohpet of Mohammed. All of them are great. But that doesn’t mean one says, ‘I’ll do your job’, even if he can sit and learn all that the Holy Bible or Holy Kuran say..
