Wednesday, November 30, 2011

BROOMBOY ADVERTS ....



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This is a post published in the blog of broomboy:   theopenview.blogspot.com
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Vacancies

This morning the local newspapers carried out a very sad news item about the Ameican college.  It was reported in The HINDU : "American College is not a safe place…even for the staff working there under Government-aided category. I had complained to the Collector about what happened to me on the campus. Those who gheraoed me looked like hooligans and seemed to have drunk. They drove me out of the campus and I am  concerned about the staff safety in the light of today's incident,” Dr. Ponnathal told The Hindu  after briefing the Collector.


Looking at the plight of a government (JDCE) official Dr. Ponnathal, and the shameful state of our beautiful American college, with sadness and trepidation, we publish the following advertisement for cleaning supervisors at American college. If you are truly interested in the welfare of the college kindly apply with your comments:


(Click on the above 'advt.' to get it enlarged.)




Broomboy adverts...


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Let me 'enlarge' how to apply in broomboy's announcement:


Willing candidates can quietly work with us through our blog posts and support us with your COMMENTS in support of our cause. you can always use your pen-name....




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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

TRAPPED BY MISTAKES




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The three year old, ongoing struggle to save the glorious institution, The American College, has had its quota of ups and downs, moments of joy and times of despair. It has seen unexpected twists and turns.
But, judging from what has been happening recently, something within me tells that the beginning of the end has started. The elevation  of the utterly incompetent person like the son-in-law of the  brutally unscrupulous Bishop, to the position of Principal, has exposed their evil designs on this College. Now, at least some sections of the Church have come to realise that this  father-in-law and son-in-law combine, if left to carry on with their mission of rampage and destruction,  would inevitably drag both the Church and the College to doom. Handbills circulated by a few church members criticising the Bishop is a sign of things to come.
The ghaeroing of the Joint DIrector of the Collegiate Education, when she came to visit the College on 23-11-2011, by a group of hooligans, specially trained for such activities by the thugs parading themselves as administrators, has come as a blessing in disguise because, now the officialdom has learnt the truth about their  character and calibre. The posters criticising the Collector and the JDCE, displayed by this group in the City, would have further antagonised them.
Bloated by ego and inflated with arrogance, let them commit more and more such mistakes. This is surely the path of dictators. Their imminent fall is at hand. But, we cannot afford to lower our guard. Under the able leadership of  Dr.Anbudurai, Principal-in-Charge, let us carry on our fight, with renewed vigour and complete commitment.

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D.Samuel Lawrence
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Monday, November 28, 2011

Dr. A.R. VENKITRAMAN writes ....

 
 
 
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Dear Sam,
 
Do I see a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel in the recent news you have conveyed about the American College?  I think that I do. 
 
One can guess that the Government has started asking some inconvenient questions of the current College management and that they see in it perhaps the beginning of the end.  That probably explains the management-inspired commotion that the officially-visiting JDCE was confronted with in the College recently.  Hope that the ugliness and the lack of decorum in what happened, will hasten the restoration of constitutional order in the College.  Well, all the best to all working for it.
 
It was heartening to note that the aided staff got their salary at last, even though it was only for the month of December in 2010.  It saddens that some did not derive the benefit.  Hope that the omission will be rectified soon along with dispersal of all pending back-wages to all.  Good wishes and Godspeed for it.
 
Thank you, Sam, for keeping College news flowing.  Sorry that freedom of expression is not sometimes appreciated as you indicated recently.  
 
With greetings of the season,
A.R.Venkitaraman 


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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Legality of American College council meeting questioned




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Special Correspondent
The agitating group in the American College, led by Principal in-charge P. R. Anbudurai, has questioned the legality of the governing council meeting here on Thursday when the issue is in dispute and the matter in court.
It has announced that the agitating management staff members will not, under any circumstances, appeal to “illegitimate governing council” to join duty. “When the legitimacy of the governing council is itself under question, there is no question of approaching it. Only the legally appointed Principal and secretary can make appointments and hence all the appointments made after November 2010 are invalid. The then acting Principal R. Mohan was not recognised as college secretary by the State government,” Dr. Anbudurai said in a press statement issued on Thursday. 

He pointed out that the High Court judgement of August 25, 2011, did not recognise Prof. Mohan as the secretary and hence the Joint Directorate of Collegiate Education was asked to disburse salaries to the staff of American College. 

“The governing council meeting on Thursday is in breach of American College constitution. It is nothing but a sham and does not have any legal binding or validity. Moreover, the appointment of Davamani Christober as Principal recently is illegal and against the High Court order,” the press release said.
Dr. Anbudurai came out in support of the management/self-finance staff who conducted classes under trees and were engaged in examination process that was conducted with the help of Madurai Kamaraj University in August. “It is wrong to say that management staff were absent for a year. They took classes in the previous semester,” he pointed out. 

The press release also referred to the incidents that happened in the college campus on Wednesday during the visit of Joint Director of Collegiate Education. “As a representative of the government, the JD has all the powers to visit any college, verify records and ensure smooth running of classes. Henchmen present on the campus prevented her from discharging her duty,” Dr. Anbudurai said. 


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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

மதுரை அமெரிக்கன் கல்லூரியில் ....




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மதுரை அமெரிக்கன் கல்லூரியில் அதிகாரியை முற்றுகையிட்ட மாணவர்கள்போலீஸ் குவிப்பு

மதுரை:மதுரை அமெரிக்கன் கல்லூரி நேற்று திறக்கப்பட்டதும், மாணவர்கள் மற்றும் ஊழியர்கள், கல்லூரி கல்வி இணை இயக்குனரை முற்றுகையிட்டு, "கெரோ' செய்தனர். இதனால் அங்கு போலீஸ் குவிக்கப்பட்டது.கல்லூரியில் சி.எஸ்.ஐ., பிஷப் மற்றும் முன்னாள் முதல்வர் தரப்பினர் இடையே மோதல் இருந்து வருகிறது. கடந்த 11 மாதங்களாக, ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு சம்பளம் வழங்கப்படவில்லை. புதிய அரசு அமைந்ததும், பொது கமிட்டி அமைப்பது குறித்து, இருதரப்பினருக்கும் நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பப்பட்டது.இதற்கிடையே, கோர்ட் உத்தரவுப்படி, சம்பளம் வழங்க உத்தரவிடப்பட்டது. ரெகுலர் ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு சம்பளம் வழங்கப்பட்டது.

இரு வாரங்களுக்கு முன் கல்லூரி கல்வி இணை இயக்குனர் பொன்னாத்தாள் தலைமையில், ரெகுலர் ஆசிரியர்கள் கலந்து கொண்ட ஆலோசனை கூட்டம் நடந்தது. நவ., 23ம் தேதி கல்லூரி திறப்பது குறித்து பேசினர். நேற்று கல்லூரி திறக்கப்பட்டது. இணை இயக்குனர் பொன்னாத்தாள் கல்லூரிக்கு சென்றார். ஒவ்வொரு துறையாக சென்று பேராசிரியர்களை பணியில் அமர்த்தினார். கணிதத் துறைக்குச் சென்றபோது பிரச்னை உருவானது.அங்கிருந்த மாணவர்கள் மற்றும் ஊழியர்கள் இணை இயக்குனரை முற்றுகையிட்டு, "கெரோ' செய்தனர். கோஷங்களை எழுப்பினர். "கடந்த 11 மாதங்களாக எங்களுக்காக பணியாற்றிய ஆசிரியர்களை வெளியேற்றக் கூடாது' என, கோஷங்களை எழுப்பினர். இணை இயக்குனர் கல்லூரியை விட்டு வெளியேறினார். போலீசார் குவிக்கப்பட்டனர்.கலெக்டர் சகாயம் தலைமையில் ஆர்.டி.ஓ., துரைராஜ், கல்லூரி கல்வி இணை இயக்குனர் பொன்னாத்தாள் ஆகியோர், ஆலோசனை நடத்தினர். இதில், 2010ம் ஆண்டில் இருந்த நிலைப்படியே (ஸ்டேட்டஸ் கோ) செயல்பட வேண்டும் என முடிவெடுக்கப்பட்டது.

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OFFICIAL "GHERAOED" ON AMERICAN COLLEGE CAMPUS




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Official “gheraoed” on American College campus

Shastry V.Mallady
She lodges a complaint with Collector immediately
TROUBLE: A file photo of American College.
 
 
 
TROUBLE:
: The Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, K. M. Ponnathal, had described the American College as an “unsafe place” right now because of the “presence of hooligans and a drunken group on the campus.”

She lodged a complaint with the Collector, U. Sagayam, immediately after she was gheraoed by a group in public glare inside the campus on Wednesday morning when she had gone to oversee staff attendance in the wake of a long tussle between two groups that have been fighting over the college administration issue.

“American College is not a safe place…even for the staff working there under Government-aided category. I had complained to the Collector about what happened to me on the campus. Those who gheraoed me looked like hooligans and seemed to have drunk. They drove me out of the campus and I am  concerned about the staff safety in the light of today's incident,” Dr. Ponnathal told The Hindu  after briefing the Collector.

The Joint Director of Collegiate Education went to the college at around 9 a.m. to ensure that classes/staff attendance was normal. Several of the college staff have not got their salary for the past eleven months since there has been a dispute on the issue over the principal and secretary post of Madurai's prestigious college.
According to her, the problem erupted when she was in the Mathematics Department.

Some persons raised slogans against me and I was literally driven out. The Collector said that he would talk to the Chief Secretary and others on this issue. Police will be posted for one week and I have been advised to continue my work on the American College issue,” she said. 

Meanwhile, the college did not present a good sight on the very first day of a new semester on Wednesday. While the “groups under trees” were back again, the presence of police too raised concerns for the warring groups. 

“We will not allow law and order problem on our campus. I am very much for smooth sailing. However, the Regional Joint Director is exceeding her brief and interfering with the internal matters of a Christian minority institution. Her role is only to look into the matters of Government aided staff in this college,” M. D. Christopher, the new Principal and Secretary of the college, said. 

Mr. Christopher and other senior faculty members in the ruling group of American College claimed that a group of students got furious when the Joint Director was making “unnecessary enquires” on matters that were “out of her purview” and more so with the details of management staff (on consolidated salary).
“Taking a decision on management staff is purely an issue to be decided by the governing council and not by the JD. If some of those staff members wanted to come back, let them give an appeal to the governing council. This is our stand and what is wrong in that,” the Principal questioned. 

According to him, the two groups in American College — both teaching and non-teaching — in the aided category have responded positively to the normalcy initiatives taken by the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education so as to ensure that salary disbursal by the State Government is not affected.
The opposing group representative, K. Anbunathan of the Department of Management Studies said that their fear about the presence of unruly elements on campus got vindicated with the chasing away of the official.
Meanwhile, the governing council meeting is scheduled to meet on Thursday evening to deliberate on various issues.

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TENSION IN AMERICAN COLLEGE AS STUDENTS GHERAO OFFICIAL






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TOI MOBILE


Tension brewed at the American College in Madurai on Wednesday, when some students' gheraoed the regional joint director of collegiate education and staff members, who assumed charge in a move to conduct classes in the controversy-prone institution.

In a complaint submitted to the collector, the JD alleged that there was a presence of outside elements in the institution and urged for proper intervention to ensure the proper functioning of the college.

The posts of the college secretary and principal are yet to be filled as a case relating to the administration and the CSI Madurai-Ramnad diocese bishop is still pending in court. Due to this, the JD, K M Ponnathal who visited the college early this month had announced that the aided staff, both teaching and non-teaching, who had been on the rolls as on November 2010 should report for duty on Wednesday as the semester was scheduled to begin. On Wednesday, she also came to the college and went around supervising the classes.
The aided staff, who were working till November 2010 had abstained from reporting for duty for security reasons. Due to this, the 'bishop's group' appointed a fresh batch of management teachers.
When Ponnathal came to the mathematics department she started making some enquiries about the management staff of the self-financing section. Some of the students demanded to know on what authority she was making the enquiries and ghearoed her.

She told them that she had oral instructions from the Madurai district collector to ensure that the college functioned normally with the attendance coming under her personal monitoring.

As the tension continued to brew, a police force was brought into the campus to augment the already existing personnel, who had been deployed on duty there for security reasons.

There have been reports that the bishop and his men have employed anti-social elements in the disguise of students for their personal gain. "Today's incident was one that went in favour of this theory," said Ashok, a student. Meanwhile, Ponnathal met the Madurai district collector U Sagayam and submitted a complaint alleging that there was a presence of outsiders in the college and urged action to ensure proper functioning of the college.

One of the oldest and prestigious institutions in Madurai was started in 1881 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission with an aim to educate the downtrodden people of the society without any differences in caste or creed.

The Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese was a member of the governing council without any executive responsibilities, apart from presiding over the council meetings. But, trouble brewed when the present Bishop Christopher Asir, promoted his family's interest by appointing members from his group to the important posts of the college in the year 2008.

The then college administration and the so-called 'bishop's group' started fighting over the institution.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

ET TU, தினமலர் !!



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பிஷப் மீது பாலியல் புகார் -  ஐகோர்ட் கிளை உத்தரவு என்ற தலைப்பில் நேற்று - 22.11.11 - தினமலரில் ஒரு செய்தி, கட்டம் கட்டி!

ஒரு பெண் ’வேதவியல் பட்டப்படிப்பில் சேர, பிஷப் கிறிஸ்டோபர் ஆசீரிடம் தடையில்லா சான்று (என்.ஓ.சி.,) மற்றும் சம்பள நிலுவைத் தொகை 10 லட்ச ரூபாய், சம்பள உயர்வு’ கேட்ட அந்தப் பெண்ணிடம் அவற்றை வழங்க ஆசைக்கு இணங்க பிஷப் வலியுறுத்தினார் என்று உயர் நீதி மன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்திருக்கிறார்.

இதெல்லாம் என்ன கேசு! நம்ம தல இதை ஊதித்தள்ளி விடுவார்.

எனக்கு என்ன ஆச்சரியம் என்றால் பிஷப் பக்க விஷயங்களை எப்போதும் ‘முந்தியே தரும்’ தினமலரில் மற்ற தினசரிகளிலும் வராத இந்த வழக்கின் விளக்கம் இந்தப் பத்திரிகையில் வந்தது மட்டுமே எனக்கு அதிசயம்!

படித்துப் பாருங்கள்.

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SOME GOOD SIGN …



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The JDCE (Joint Director of Collegiate Education) had a meeting few days back with our staff – both our team and bishoporic team. According to her orders (She said she has got the instructions from the Govt.) today-(23.11.11), the first day of the even semester, our staff got into the campus. A common register was there for ALL the staff for signing.

Our staff came to know that all the staff as per the register on Nov, 2010 can sign the attendance register and get works from the HOD.

She vistited all the departments and talked to the HODs about the distribution of work to all those in the Nov. list. It seems there was some objection to this from some quarters which were set aside by the JDCE.

But in one department she was almost gheroed by some “students” and “staff” shouting slogans and objecting her to carry out her agenda. An eyewitness said that the so called students were quite unruly and even abused the officer.

Hope and wish normalcy comes to the campus soon. For us, getting our staff into the campus after ‘the Govt. paying the salary’ (and not the ‘questioned principal’) into their normal schedule of work is a very good sign.


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Monday, November 21, 2011

AN INTERNATIONAL CLARION - INDIAN BISHOP ACCUSED OF SWINDLING DIOCESE


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 We should greatly appreciate our 'beloved' bishop for cornering a lovely place in  The Church of England Newspaper, an authentic News Paper of the Church of England. A recent legal incident happened here is quoted in the paper.

Let his 'glory' be sung from all corners of our earth. What a lucky people we are to have such a renowned 'great' bishop to shepherd us!

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Bishop Christopher Asir





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Picked from:
The Religious, Political and Cultural journalism of George Conger

http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/indian-bishop-accused-of-swindling-diocese-the-church-of-england-newspaper-oct-7-2011-p-6/

Indian bishop accused of swindling diocese: The Church of England Newspaper, Oct 7, 2011 p 6. October 7, 2011

Posted by geoconger in Church of England Newspaper, Church of South India, Corruption.
Tags:



First published in The Church of England Newspaper.


Tax authorities in India have questioned the Church of South India’s (CSI) former moderator, investigating allegations he illegally sold church land and pocketed the proceeds.

On Sept 23 the Revenue Divisional Officer in Madurai issued a summons to the Bishop in Madarui-Ramnad ordering him to a hearing at his office on Oct 3 to answer questions over his stewardship of church lands.
The tax investigation follows a Jan 28 order by Justice V. Kuruppiah of the Madras High Court directing police to investigate Bishop Asir for defrauding the diocese by selling church land at below market prices in return for a kickback from the buyer.

The tax and criminal investigations are reviewing a 2008 sale of land. Upon the creation of the CSI in 1947 an American missionary society assigned 46.71 acres of land belonging to the Lucy Perry Noble Institute for Women to the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA). The terms of the transfer required the CSITA to hold the land in perpetuity on behalf of the church and rent the property, using the income to support women’s ministries in the church.

However, Bishop Asir in collusion with Pauline Sathyamurthy, the former treasurer of the CSI who is currently being sought by police in connection with the theft of funds donated by Episcopal Relief and Development to assist survivors of the 2004 tsunami, sold 6.74 acres of land for £2.2 million, pocketing £925,000 of the proceeds.

Though several complaints have been filed by members of the diocese over the alienation of the church’s land, no action has been taken so far by the police. In his Sept 23 petition to the RDO, a lay member of the diocese, Mr. J.M. Bhaskar, has asked the tax authorities to cancel the sale and return the land to the church.


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பரணியும்  புகழ் பாடும் ‘தலைவரின்’ பெருமை திக்கெட்டும் பரவட்டும்!

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 One more news item in the same paper on another allegation : 

Fraud allegations levelled against ex-Deputy Moderator of the CSI: The Church of England Newspaper, Feb 18, 2011 p 7. 

 

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

SHINING EXAMPLE OF STEADFAST LOYALTY




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Prof. D. SAMUEL LAWRENCE

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This struggle has seen different types of people- fierce loyalists, cunning  traitors, shameless stooges, sickening sycophants, notorious neutrals and indifferent intellectuals.
 
 In the first category, special mention must be made of the Management staff- both the Faculty and particularly the non-teaching staff like, gardeners, watchmen, cooks, office and  lab.assistants. Right from the beginning till now, they have provided a shining example of steadfast loyalty to the College against heavy odds.They have been a source of inspiration to others. 
 
These people, who are mostly uneducated and with a very low income have solidly stood by the College through thick and thin. Their unswerving loyalty to the institution, exhibited so clearly and continuously all these three years, with no salary for the past eleven months is truly remarkable. Neither threats nor baits could shake their resolve even a bit.
 
 It is unfortunate that now, when the aided staff have received a month' salary, these people have not received  their's. Now is the time to help and support them in every possible way. Under no circumstances and on no account should  they, (not even one) be left to feel neglected or sidelined. It is our moral duty to protect their interests and take care of them because their sacrifice for the College is truly immeasurable and invaluable.
 
 
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Saturday, November 19, 2011

DUBIOUS ELEVATIONS AT AMERICAN COLLEGE AND THE NAKED LIES



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broomboy

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I was tossing and turning in my sleep and something was nagging me.

Sleep has eluded me for the past several days, especially after
reading the news of a “nobody who was made into “No: 3” and in due
course made into “No: 1” at the dubious American College power
structure”, but this uneasiness was a bit beyond the “naked nepotism”
which was blatantly visible at the corridors of American college. This
morning I happen to glimpse a post in SaveAmericanCollege blogpost on
collective wisdom and collective madness. Every letter in that post
was true as WE encouraged this cassock clad bindranwale to elevate his
sibling into the number 3 position and this monster has grown out of
proposition and has started showing its true colour by proclaiming
himself to be number one.

While tossing and turning I looked at my children peacefully sleeping.
 Now I know what bothered me.  It is the last lines in the Collective
Wisdom post which was like an icing on the cake but a powerful blow on
the face which was bothering me. It said “how amusing it is to
visualize for a second Dr.Christober’s picture hanging along with that
of those starting from Rev.Dr.Washburn”. My uneasiness is the day I
take my children into the great walls of American college to show them
what made me who I am today. I dread the day when I will be leading my
children into the principal’s office to show them the long list of
illustrious principals followed by fading list of principals who
“promoted this incompetent person”  and the tail of “laughable
elevations” to the position of principals….

My dear friends, I want you to stop and visualize the scene I had
painted above. You and I have passed the great walls of this
institution; we have brushed shoulders with great and noble people at
the American College; you and I know what American College stands for.
How can we standby and see this happening to American College…. This
has to be stopped. The history has to be rewritten otherwise you and I
cannot even tell our future generations that we passed through the
burning fires of American college.  If you are reading this post and
if you can pass this ordeal without aversion I don’t blame you,
because you are either not connected to American College or no better
than the sycophants who have elevated the nobody into somebody. But if
you read this post and feel that you can support to save American
College, kindly go to the American College blogspot and say I

support in the comment with your name / pen name. It’s time we have to
make our voices heard....

Looking at the happenings at the American College one cannot wonder
how naked the lies which the perpetrators weaved to achieve what they
have done now. They made the gullible congregation of the CSI Churches
and list of sycophants and their loyal (loyal because of the
expectation of benefits; fear of harassment; or both) staff to believe
that they are safeguarding the ethos and values of church and
Christian minority, in fact they were safeguarding the family
interests. I happened to read a comment in one of the posts, saying “i
can understand the bishop when he brings in his son-in-law as the
principal, i cannot understand the faculty who support this action of
the bishop”. Sorry my brother, I can never understand how the Bishop
nor any sane person can bring Dr. Christober as principal. But there
is an iota of truth in what you said. Stupidity can only be replaced
by mediocrity.That's what has happened in the dubious elevations at
the American College. One Mr.Mohan replaced by another Dr.
Christober.That's why I call all these as Naked lies. I pity the staff
who believed and supported the naked lies of the bishop and his
son-in-law. As DSL wrote the day of reckoning is fast approaching….

broomboy

Friday, November 18, 2011

SOME GOOD NEWS

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Some good news … after so long a time. The salary for the month of December alone of 2010 has been credited yesterday – 17.11.11 - , one month salary after 11 months! More over it is only for the aided staff. Yet the management staff has to be hopeful that their salaries would be coming soon.

The salary has been released by the JDCE, Joint Director of Collegiate Education. She, according to the government order, has declined to honour the false claims of the bishoporic group. Their claims of Principal and Secretary have been shelved. This may be like a light at the far end of a long tunnel!

This may not be the end … but hopefully just the beginning of an end.



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Thursday, November 17, 2011

A NOTE FROM ME ..........

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hi folks

Yesterday I found that I have been eased / expelled (?!) out of our college blog by the admin – for their own reasons. I don’t know why.

But I would like to continue what I was doing – bringing the happenings in the college to you all.

.........dharumi
12, Nov. 11

Sunday, November 6, 2011

COLLECTIVE WISDOM & COLLECTIVE MADNESS




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Prof. RAJENDRA PANDIAN

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The “naked nepotism” of the Bishop is only an extension of the “unclothed cronyism” we had been practicing at various levels. To cap it all, we made a no body into “No: 3” and in turn they have made him into “No: 1”. What big difference do you find? Of course “Asir himself” had to execute this “laughable elevation of the son-in-law” as our own ‘visionaries’ were not there this time to do it for him. A “servile and illegal makeshift governing council” has helped him in the process as the ‘servile and legal’ council is not there either; now it also is on the makeshift mode fighting for the legitimacy lost. 

It’s true that the Bishop thinks he has” limitless power under the sun and could do whatever he wants to do”.  Were the administrators we had in recent times very different from him? Where are those two Principals who vied with each other in promoting “this utterly incompetent person” in question? Are they not obligated to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in the ongoing fight? Where are they and why are they coy to enter the campus after their retirement? How come they visit ‘Ashok Bhavan’ and ‘Thamukkam grounds’ but not the college campus? Is this the breed of leaders this organization groomed spending so much from its resources? One is like a Hardyan character who leaves his native village never to be heard of again. And the other is like an African military junta who simply flees the country after all his attempts to stay in power fail. 

A sizable number of the faculty supporting the Bishop and his son-in-law—a fact that the Fulbrighter (Mr.G.P.Reuben) rues—can perhaps be attributed to the “collective madness” which is a byproduct of the “collective wisdom” Prof. Lawrence has mentioned. The Nehruvian belief that ancient civilizations—or, institutions in this context—that can boast of such wisdom are also prone to this madness at one point or other seems true. The madness in our case manifested itself in the form of full-blown sycophancy and large scale thought-policing on campus induced by lure of benefits; fear of harassment; or both from the top. It remains embarrassingly rhetorical what I, we, and our democratic forums such as the Faculty floor, Senatus, Governing Council; or even the Teachers’ Union did to counter the cutting-edge maladministration the college was experiencing in yesteryears.

Besides fighting the Bishop—no doubt we all will to the very end—I should also admit how amusing it is to visualize for a second Dr.Christober’s picture hanging along with that of those starting from Rev.Dr.Washburn.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.  

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Friday, November 4, 2011

OBITUARY


Death of Decency....


Dear Readers
I would like to present an article that appeared in a blogsite under the title Obituary (http://theopenview.blogspot.com/2011/11/obituary.html) written by a sincere soul under the nick name Broomboy.
I present that for you all...
Thank you Broomboy....


Obituary

It is sad to observe the death of “common decency”, “decorum” and “respect” at the beautiful campus of American College. For close to four years these important virtues of human life were laying in COMA at the corridors of American college and this morning with the announcement of the new appointment of one Dr. Christober Thavamani as the new principle of American college, the remaining bit of "public decency" which existed in the name of “respect” was completely extinguished.
American College, a multi-religious education fraternity, was born in the year 1890. Its parents were noble minded missionaries and unbiased Christian elders who thought “Education” belonged to all the religious sects. In its young days, the American college attracted a number of multi-religious students and produced sons of the soil with aplomb who, till date, hold various prestigious positions throughout the globe.
The first symptom of sickness was witnessed during the early 80s when a common sickness called “caste” attacked this noble institution. This sickness is much deadlier than cancer. Though contingency measures were taken to keep the sickness under control, the cancer started spreading and divided the different parts (faculty members) of the institution. In the mid naught’s (mid 2000s) another severe bout of sickness attacked the institution which was identified as “religious nepotism”. The main culprit who brought this deadly disease to the institution was a deadly parasite called “Asir” who is known to have perpetuated the same disease wherever he had his hand. This parasite lives in a swamp called CSI Madurai diocese and breads a number of other spineless parasites who are otherwise called as cassock clad pastors. This parasite has grown more deadly over the years with illegal acquisition of dubious money and dubious power using religion as a means. Though this parasite is very old and within a few months will bite the dust, atleast its vigour, it is determined to do the maximum damage during its tenure.
This parasite had an equally vicious ally and relative called Christober who had imbedded into the college affairs by mistake. These two parasites started by infecting gullible parts of the body (faculty) by offering large cash rewards and positions in leiue of ‘self respect”. The first victim of this infection was a fat-bellied organ called george selvakumar. After dividing the body parts, it was easy for these parasites to tempt others. Mohan became the next.
Resident doctors, especially Chinnraj and Anbudurai and a number of duty doctors (all faculty members who opposed Asir), many retired doctors and visiting doctors and a couple of noble minded expatriate doctors tried to cure this disease through routine medical aid of court cases. At one point the disease was controlled and started stablising and as everyone was hoping to see the good days of the college and a stable body, the resident doctors blinked their eyes for rest when the parasites attacked viciously and attacked the body with vigiour. This attack crippled the body severely as rowdism, money and caste were used liberaly to unsettle the other parts of the body. Since then the college was lying in a perpetual state of COMA, until this morning the parasite himself announced the appointment of his own son-in-law.
Today this institution leaves behind close to 5000 current students and millions of alumni who are orphaned without a place to go by. Some of the well-wishers are still trying to see if any life can be inhaled into the body of American college. There is one important drug (a strong decisive order in favour of Anbudurai) which is rumored to be owned by the tamilnadu chief minister might be able to infuse some life if administered, but with the drug being so rare to be used and the chief-minister is busy fighting her own demons the friends and relatives of this college are helplessly stranded.

--- broomboy---

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

DECCAN CHRONICLE - DATED 01-11-2011

American College in fresh controversy


Bishop's son-in-law appointed principal
It's contempt of court, say faculty



The over 125-year-old American College in the city is mired in a fresh controversy.
Even as a slew of cases over the legitimacy of the institution’s governing council which appoints the principal is pending before the court, the administration controlled by CSI Bishop Christopher Asir has (illegally)  appointed his son-in-law Davamani Christober as the new principal and secretary.
On Friday, Mr Christober, the bursar and Maths professor, replaced ‘acting’ principal R. Mohan, also belonging to the Bishop’s camp. Mr Mohan continued to be in office since last December, even as the college had another principal incharge Dr P.R.Anbudurai to whom the then principal Chinnaraj T. Joseph handed over charges on his superannuation.
 While the Bishop’s supporters claimed that the selection of Christober was done in accordance with the college norms and was approved by the governing council (the constitution of their Governing Council is NOT valid & cases are pending in District Court regarding its validity) , the staffs opposing the Bishop for his “illegal takeover of the college” are up against arms over his appointment.
Questioning his appointment, Dr Anbudurai asked, “When the legitimacy of the governing council is itself sub-judice with cases pending before the district and high courts, the council convened by the Bishop is illegal and hence null and void.” Only the principal-cumsecretary is vested with the power to convene the council and the Bishop has no locus-standi in doing so, he says pointing out that Mr Mohan was not allowed to act as the secretary either by the government or the high court.
The same was made very clear in the judgment pronounced by the Madras high court on August 25, 2011, with regard to disbursal of salary. The government too in its representation before the court had categorically stated that Mr Mohan is not the secretary and no such approval had been given. In this scenario, neither Mr Mohan nor the Bishop have the authority to convene the meeting,” Dr Anbudurai said.
Coming down heavily on the Bishop, the protesting faculty members say that his act of appointing his son-in-law as the principal shows his scant regard not only for the college constitution but also for the government and the court. “The appointment, which amounts to contempt of court, has made it clear that the Bishop is keen on usurping the college for its property and other pecuniary interests,” Dr Anbudurai claimed.