Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K. Narayana has advised the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to consider the yeoman services of the ‘Bhajan’ troupe members and ensure suitable monetary compensation to them.
Addressing the thousands of workers who gathered at the TTD administrative building here on Monday demanding better recognition, he said the workers were not demanding pay hike or bonus akin to the regular employees, but only small recognition and a minimal monetary support for their activities.
“Though we are communists, we can not turn a blind eye to the devotion in the other person. Hence, we extend support to their cause,” he explained, adding that the party would reach out to farmers in the field, workers in a plant or devotional artistes in a temple, if they were denied what was due to them.
In this context, Mr. Narayana appealed to the TTD to recognise the artistes as ‘artistic workers’ in view of their performance in reaching the divine message across to the society. Bhajan artistes’ leader P. Yadagiri said the services of the existing Bhajan workers should be continued on priority basis.
