Revenue department transfers non-Hindu tahsildar of Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue department transferred the newly-appointed non-Hindu tahsildar of Thiruvananthapuram after Hindu Aikya Vedi demanded that the he should be shifted as he has a key role to play in the religious ceremony at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The department had issued transfer orders of tahsildars on February 4 as a shuffle was mandatory before upcoming assembly elections.However, Hindu Aikya Vedi took exception to the appointment of K Ansar as the tahsildar as he was from the Muslim community. The outfit demanded that he should be shifted as the tahsildar of Thiruvananthapuram has a key role to play in preparing the ‘vetta kalam’ for Pallivetta ritual held on the eve of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple’s Arattu.

As a custom, the tahsildar accompanies the Arattu procession. Considering this custom, subsequent governments had appointed only a Hindu officer as tahsildar in this post, said the outfit in a statement issued on Monday. The Arattu festival at the temple will begin from March 20 and conclude on March 29 at Shanghumugham. As the festival is nearing, the outfit demanded an immediate solution.
The Vedi’s office-bearers claimed that the unwritten treaty between former Travancore king Sri Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma and the government, when the kingdom was dissolved in the Indian union, was breached by revenue department by appointing a non-Hindu officer.
A meeting of the Vedi, attended by two state secretaries besides district officer-bearers, had alleged that the LDF government’s action was part of its new renaissance movement and that the action that has hurt the sentiments of Hindu believers should be immediately rectified. Hours after the meeting, revenue department mutually transferred Neyyattinkara tahsildar K Suresh and Thiruvananthapuram tahsildar K Ansar to resolve the issue.
Land revenue commissionerate sources said that the matter wasn’t noticed when several officials were transferred. "Hindu Aikya Vedi activists brought the matter to our attention and it was then resolved. There is no ill intention or foul play in this matter," said a top official.
There is also an unwritten rule to appoint only Hindu officers as the collector of Thiruvananthapuram as the officer has to actively involve with the affairs of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The temple doesn’t allow non-Hindus to enter inside the compound.