VIOLATION OF CHILD RIGHTS

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Prof.BABU CHARLES who was among those stayed in the campus on 19th night reports:



Bishop’s Ploy and Poor Children become victims!!!!
Violation of Child Rights and those dreadful moments……..




It was a tense evening in the American college, Madurai on 19/04/08 as the Bishop of Madurai and Ramnad Diocese Dr.Christopher Asir had unconstitutionally convened a Governing Council (GC) (wherein the constitution clearly states that the Principal and Secretary ONLY has the powers to convene the Governing Council and the Bishop is only the Chairman of the council) of the American College to take action against the Principal and Secretary Dr.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar. The meeting was convened in the forenoon and the Principal and Secretary was unconstitutionally suspended.
Following this action, the Bishop, his son Jeba, his daughter Ms. Jyothi Christober, his son-in-law M.D Christober and his supporters tried to storm the American college and take control through unlawful means. This emotionally charged situation was aggravated by the presence of local rowdies in support of the Bishops family. American college, with a 127 year old tradition of offering Liberal Christian Higher Education to students irrespective of caste, creed and religion with secular values had never witnessed such a dreadful situation which would never fall within the purview of lawful activities. I say it as dreadful as the subsequent unfolding of events never was a testimony to the very basic values of humanness that we cherish and uphold.

The most pathetic and appalling event is the bringing of girl students from CSI Diocese managed colleges and small children to support their cause. Around fifty children, mostly boys, were made to sit outside the college in support of the bishop. Surely a violation of child rights endangering the safety and security of children. It was a busy evening as the entire Madurai was watching Edhirsevai as part of the Azhlagar festival. These children were mobilized around 7.45 PM and were from a nearby centre run by the Diocese supposedly offering rehabilitation for Tsunami affected children, mostly believed to be orphans.

CHILDREN FROM A NEARBY DIOCESE MANAGED SCHOOL MADE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UNLAWFUL AGITATION PROVOKED BY THE BISHOP OF CSI MADURAI RAMNAD DIOCESE. Most of them are supposedly Tsunami victims and claimed by the Dioceses as orphans.

CHILDREN FROM A NEARBY DIOCESE MANAGED SCHOOL MADE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UNLAWFUL AGITATION PROVOKED BY THE BISHOP OF CSI MADURAI RAMNAD DIOCESE
The most awful, terrible and horrible nightmare to these children was to be made to sit there the whole night and watch the most painful events wherein the entire college was in an agitated mood, both sides. The children were witness to these tense moments as the Bishops supporters were all fuming with anger, abusing the Principal and his supporters, intimidating them of dire consequences, threatening the students and faculty who were in support of the college and its Principal. Those innocent children were witnessing the entry of police force strength by strength, vans and jeeps plying in and out of the college. I wonder what amount of fear this situation would have instilled in the young minds of these helpless, poor children. These children surely suffered a psychological trauma as tension prevailed the whole night. Suppose something untoward had happened, these children would have become the first set of victims as they had the only option of running helter skelter and getting lost in the crowd, from fire to frying pan.

Who would account for such an atrocious situation? Is it because the children were from very poor households belonging to the marginalized sections of the society that their rights were taken for granted and made to face the perils of angry, agitated, furious and volatile situations?

Why these children?

What amount of trauma it would have created in their minds? How would it impact on their future, their career? What role model is being provided to them?

Moreover, none of the children were aware of the situation and even otherwise they have been misguided by those selfish souls to safeguard their own vested interests. Are these kids the "family's" shield in their bid to capture Principal's office on that night? Only a cruel and scheming Machiavellian mind can bring the hapless children into a muddle like this.

This is a clear instance of violation of Child Rights……….. we have to come together to fight for this cause