Thursday, July 31, 2008

STAFF STAGE DEMO AGAINST BISHOP



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STAFF STAGE DEMO AGAINST BISHOP

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THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS


AMERICAN COLLEGE ISSUE


STAFF STAGE DEMO AGAINST BISHOP


Express News Service
Madurai, July 29

SEVERAL members of American College faculty affiliated to MUTA and non-teaching staff staged a demonstration at Anna Bus Stand here today against the alleged fraud of Bishop Christopher Asir in preparing forged documents to make the suspended vice-principal as the principal and secretary of the college.

They shouted slogans and displayed placards against the Bishop’s alleged move to defraud the Directorate of Collegiate Education with the forged documents. They also demanded action by the government in initiating CB-CID enquiry against Bishop Christopher Asir and his son-in-law Davamani Christopher for unleashing violence inside the campus between April 8 and 19.

The demonstrators condemned the false representation made by the Bishop at various places, including media, to the effect that Principal T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar was not discharging duty during the period from April 8 to 11, which was against the truth. They also questioned the inaction on the part of the government for not taking any actions against the perpetrators of violence unleashed on the campus even after a complaint had been made which was signed by more than two hindered staff.


They also demanded that the false cases being foisted against the principal, teachers and staff of American College by the Bishop and his son-in-law Davamani Christopher be immediately ceased.

John Sekar, Rajkumar and Prabhakar of the faculty explained the sequences leading to the present problems at the college and expressed their concern that the 127- year old institution of such caliber and tradition has been made to suffer because of the evil designs of the Bishop in trying to usurp the college and its property for his and his family’s personal gain.

The faculty members added that they would fight till the end to protect the college. Former vice-principal Swaminathan and Rajendran of non-teaching staff also spoke at the demonstration.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

PRINCIPAL DENIES REPORT OF HIS REMOVAL



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The following appeared in The New Indian Express on 28 July, 2008. Principal Dr. Chinnaraj Joseph had to go to the press clarifying the canard deliberately issued to local news papers by Bishop and his coterie regarding the position of our college under the Societies Act.

PRINCIPAL DENIES REPORT OF HIS REMOVAL

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
Madurai, July 27

“RELIGIOUS heads should not try to mix religion into the educational institutions,” said Chinnaraj Joseph, Principal, American College, here on Sunday.

Reacting to a news appeared in a newspaper that the Commercial Tax Department has removed him from the secretaryship of the college, he said that the department has no power to appoint or dismiss the secretary of a society which is registered under the Societies Registration Act.

The Bishop is trying to misuse the differences existing between the registrations of American College with the Government’s Registration Act of 1978 in his favour.

The problem started when five Hindu candidates of the total 25 posts were appointed in the government vacancies in the college. The Bishop, who is an ex-officio member of the American College Governance Council Society, is trying to monopolise it and mix religion into the campus.

The American College, which is functioning under the control of American College Governance Council, is not owned by the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA), which is a registered company under the Company’s Act.

All the problems started when the principal disagreed with the proposal of the Bishop's representative in the council meeting to dismiss it and enter into CSITA. Bishop, along with his son-in-law, Davamani Christober, is trying to collapse the secular tradition of the college.

The Bishop, who has no power to remove the secretrayship which is inseparable from the principal according to the bylaw of the college, is hiding the fact that only the Director of Collegiate Education has the power to do so. Owing to the anonymous threats received over phone, it is decided to request for police protection, according to Chinnaraj Joseph.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

A KIND NOTE TO Dr. GEORGE SELVAKUMAR



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"Judge not for thy shall be judged" - A KIND NOTE TO Dr. GEORGE SELVAKUMAR

A NOTE FROM PROF. V.SRINIVASAN

I wonder how many of those following the recent American College events know the educational background of Dr. George Selvakumar.

"Judge not for thy shall be judged"

Recently George had questioned through a petition in a court of law the qualifications of Dr. Chinnaraj Joseph, the present Principal of the College to hold that post. George, teaching History in the College doesn't hold an undergraduate degree in History. He is B.Sc Chemistry graduate. He served the college as a Demonstrator in Chemistry for several years. During that period he had tried a few times to join the M.Sc Chemistry course in the College but could not get through our tight entrance requirements of those days. :(

Thanks to MUTA, Government of Tamilnadu agreed to abolish the posts of Tutors and Demonstrators. The then existing graduate tutors and demonstrators were encouraged to get a Masters degree in other disciplines (Tamil, English, Economics, History etc.) to be upgraded as Lecturers. George decided to get a masters degree in History and was absorbed in the College as a Lecturer in History. He subsequently did research and obtained the Ph.D. Being a lecturer in a subject without the first degree in the subject was itself a special consideration to accommodate him, a demonstrator in Chemistry. It is sad he has forgotten his background when he was challenging Chinnaraj's qualifications to be a Principal.