YEARS are slipping off under our feet. We are aging. We keep
losing friends one after another. Some of
such moments pain us so much. One is the recent demise of Prof.Dr. M.R. James,
known to all of us as MRJ, the ever smiling and smooth youthful man.
MRJ started his carrier as head of Botany department in our
college. I have seen most of the heads of departments, when elevated as head,
adorn themselves with a glittering crown over their heads, sit in a high-backed chair and invariably put a fence
around them. All the philosophy of “all
are equal” would be simply thrown off into dust. They usually take a new
“avatar”. But this gentle man was entirely a different kind. Headship never
made him big or different. Never he showed any ‘big bossism’! I very strongly
feel he should be considered as a great ‘model professor’. Not only colleagues,
his students too can feel the closeness with him. His lab assistants will vouch
for his care and concern. It is very tough to be a good person for all around
but MRJ proved it so easily and casually.
A trimmed beard, white shirt and black pants, and always a burning
cigarette were his trade marks. Wonder whether he became a non-smoker lately! He
never showed any barriers. Always cool and friendly. But when needed he would
become serious too, since he is a man of convictions.
Personally, I am a gifted guy. He was always close to me. Our
common interest in photography made us share a close relationship. Though there
was a dark room in my department, he very happily shared the dark room of his
department. For long, the key of that
room was with me. His association helped me develop some talent in macrophotography.
His department purchased a costly microscope with attachments for macrophotography.
I was freely allowed to use that. During that time many research scholars came
to him for taking macrophotographs. He sent them to me and many a time he would
give his room keys – the symbol of authority for many HODs – even for overnight
use which I would never imagine from any other HODs I have known all through.
He was special to me.
Sad we could not maintain our relationship after he moved to
Coimbatore. He was busy there being the
secretary or something in his apartment and told me that he was very much
involved in the activities of the association. This reminded me that decades
earlier, nearly fifty years back, his living area in Madurai had the ground
water polluted by a nearby soft drink company. He almost did an one-man-fight
and took it to the level of collector. He successfully won his fight. A
relentless fighter.
My very sincere condolences to his family.
https://www.lotustimes.org/2024/11/25/american-college-principal-removed-from-mku-conveners-committee-due-to-dvac-complaints-syndicate-meeting-takes-decision-in-the-presence-of-higher-education-secy-and-commissioner/
MADURAI: The Principal of American College Dr.M.Davamani Christober has been removed from the Convener’s Committee of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) as its member here today at the important Syndicate meeting held in the university campus on November 25th 2024.
Additional Chief Secretary and senior IAS officer Mr.K.Gopal (Higher Education Secretary) had attended the Syndicate meeting in Madurai today along with Commissioner of Collegiate Education Mrs.E.Sundaravalli (she is Syndicate Chairperson/convener) and senior Government officials and Syndicate members of the varsity.
“Syndicate member Dr.M.Davamani Christober who is now the Principal and Secretary of American College here has been today removed as Convener’s Committee member because of DVAC complaints, investigation, complaints and enquiry that is going on against him in his college due to allegations of corruption, misappropriation of wealth etc. In today’s Syndicate meeting, a decision was taken to keep him out of the all important convener’s committee that has been running the day-to-day routine administration of MKU in the absence of Vice-Chancellor for the past five or six months. DVAC complaint and enquiry is the reason for keeping him out of the Convener’s Committee,” reliable MKU sources told ‘Lotus Times’ media today evening November 25th 2024.
The Syndicate meeting took place from 11 am to 2 pm in the university campus here and all the members attended this important meeting today while a few members came online.
“Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) issues came up for discussion in today’s Syndicate meeting but the all important decision taken is to ask Dr.Davamani Christober to step down as Convener’s Committee member by the IAS officers and Government,” sources added.
A Syndicate member had confirmed to ‘Lotus Times’ today evening that when this issue came up for discussion in the agenda, the Syndicate committee convener Mrs.Sundaravalli IAS had asked Dr.M.Davamani Christober to go out of the meeting hall so that an objective discussion can take place about him.
“She told us finally that he will not be a member of the university CC…and the reason is allegations against him in various government investigation agencies,” the Syndicate member who attended today’s meeting has said.
A college Principal in Madurai has
Audi, BMW, Benz car, bungalows, farmhouses, 200-acres land, business etc?
Corruption complaint to DVAC against American College Principal may gain
momentum now before his retirement in May 2025?
(A file picture sent to Lotus
Times website from American College on Nov 14th 2024).
By Shastry V Mallady
Nov 14, 2024,
MADURAI: A complaint made against the Principal and
Secretary of The American College in Madurai Dr.M.Davamani Christober in the
year 2022 to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) of
Government of Tamil Nadu alleging and complaining about his alleged corruption
and amassing of huge wealth and properties is now coming into focus.
The complaint to DVAC by the American College staff is
drawing attention as the complainants had cited and listed out several
particulars to the Tamil Nadu Government demanding action against the
complaints of alleged corruption.
“Dr.M.Davamani Christober became the Principal of American
College in October 2011. What was his salary per month? But, he had amassed
wealth to the tune of several crores of rupees during the period from 2011 to
2021. He has appointed 65 faculty members (list attached) in the aided stream,
he also appointed non-teaching staff and positions filled…For the college
hostels, private contractor was outsourced…For student admissions under the
management quota like B.Com, BBA and BA English, there is money involved taking
money…like that there are buildings renovation etc….The UGC funds too were
swindled and the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court had admitted the case…He
has amassed a huge moveable and immovable assets in the last over 10 years..He
owns luxury car brands of Audi, BMW, Benz etc which are beyond the reach of a
college teacher. He has a luxury Audi Q8 Rs.1.5 crores with fancy numbers….He
has a bungalow in Aiyer Bungalow area in Madurai 50 cents, and at Kodaikanal
‘Eden Park’ in 80 cents with cottages for rent….In Ramnad, there is a hundred
acre project and many more. So, our complaint is to request the DVAC, the Government
of Tamil Nadu and other agencies to take our complaint,” the DVAC complaint
against Dr.M.Davamani Christober has said and a copy of that copy to the Tamil
Nadu Government is available with ‘Lotus Times’ media in Madurai.
The complainants to DVAC are S.Stephen, R.Prabahar
Vedamanickam, S.Premsingh and D.Stephen who are all from Madurai and they are
waiting for DVAC’s further action. Dr.M.Davamani Christober, Principal and
Secretary of American College, is retiring from service in May 2025 and the
complainants are pursuing their case now appealing to the DCE authorities to
take a firm action soon.
A few staff
members of The American College in Madurai told ‘Lotus Times’ website on November 14th 2024 that the present Principal cannot
get away by saying that his wife also works as college Principal and that his
sons are working or doing business, because “his IT returns of the past 15
years is what we are demanding and we suspect that the properties are held in
benami.. in whose name?….who are they?….we want DVAC to do a full complete
probe in the interest of our American College because it is a great institution
in Tamil Nadu with top NIRF ranking.”
The ‘Lotus Times’
media has been covering the college events, but will now wait for the DVAC and
DCE to give their full report on the allegations which are in public domain
after a formal complaint of alleged corruption was given to the State
government authorities.
https://www.lotustimes.org/2024/11/13/save-american-college-movement-to-start-again-in-december-from-madurai-next-month-governing-council-meeting-becomes-crucial-to-stop-family-rule-and-all-eyes-on-csi-bishop-dvac-part-1/
MADURAI: The ‘Save American College Movement’ appears to be taking off from Madurai once again from December 2024, on the lines of what had happened more than 15 years ago in this reputed higher education campus when there was a crisis that went to the courts.
Sources told ‘Lotus Times’ media here today that some volunteers are working now in this direction and it is for the present CSI Bishop, the Governing Council members, the alumni, the present teaching and non-teaching staff, the retired employees and to the Christian fraternity to take a call and come forward to join the ‘Save American College’ movement once again from December 2024.
“The General Council meeting of American College is going to take place in December 2024 and that date is being kept confidential. There are 14 members in the GC. What will they do now and we pray that our CSI Bishop who is the governing council president will take the right decision at that meeting GC next month.
There should not be any extension given to the present Principal and Secretary Dr.M.Davamani Christober because there are corruption complaints and court cases going on against him now starting from teachers’ appointments to student admissions. The DVAC had already taken cognizance of the issues and the Directorate of Collegiate Education is in the process of getting full facts. So, now is the opportunity for our CSI Bishop to save the glory of American College and quickly start the process of appointing the new Principal and Secretary for our college. The Secretaryship of Dr.M.Davamani Christober comes to end on January 27th 2025 and he should not be given extension by the Governing Council in the coming December meeting. He is retiring in May 2025… We are waiting for the DVAC, the DCE, the Higher Education Department and the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education to be vigilant and save our college in the December meeting,” a large group of American College well-wishers told this journalist yesterday by giving all related documents submitted to the government agencies and added that they are sure that justice will prevail even through the present American College Governing Council of 14 members is maximum filled with wives, family, relatives and friends.
**
PART II
MADURAI: Institutions supported by the Christian mission always stood for liberal higher education and the objective was to separate religion and education, and to provide good education to the deserving students, and of course Christian students get an opportunity for their studies.
To substantiate this noble goal, there is an example of American College in
Madurai established in the year 1881 and was developed as an example taking a
cue from its second Principal William Jumbroe who is cited as an example
because he said more than 100 years back and much before India’s Independence
that sermons are not important for students and that our students only need
moral lessons and human values across religions.
“But, after the
Independence of our country in 1947, the Church leadership became important and
powerful because we have many institutions got minority status. But at the cost
of that democracy. there is a calamity now in a few higher education
institutions in India including our American College in Madurai. Our great
colleges went away from the hands of educationists to the Churches. Our
Christian colleges lost their freedom and one classic example is The American
College in Madurai. Yes, I say today that my great American College where I
worked as Principal and Secretary is an example of corruption and there are
DVAC etc complaints against the present Principal. There is a commercial
exploitation going on right now through its present Principal Dr.M.Davamani
Christober, the SF departments and the high fees being collected from students
by this great college. It is a moral corruption and I will tell all details,”
Dr.T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, former Principal and Secretary of The American
College in Madurai has said while speaking to ‘Lotus Times’ media website on
November 9th 2024 and he asked the Church of South India (CSI) Madurai-Ramnad
Diocese and Bishop to step in quickly and save the students from high fees in
the name of SF courses, buildings etc and save the American College in Madurai.
யார் வீட்டுப் பணம்?
**
American College Governing Council is just a ‘Family Club’
as students’ fees used for foreign trips: Ex-Principal wants annual audit
report on college website, demands DVAC probe into ‘collective looting’
(Part-1)
By Shastry V Mallady
Nov 10, 2024, 11:59 am
PART I
MADURAI: Making a scathing attack on the
CSI Bishop and Church lobby for being silent despite knowing about the
mismanagement in American College for the last 10 years, its former Principal
and Secretary Dr.T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar had called the present Governing
Council as a ‘family club’ that is using students’ fees for foreign trips and
luxuries.
He accused that the entire governing council of American College is ‘complicit’
in the ongoing corruption and demanded that college should publish its annual
audit report in its website as a matter of accountability and transparency.
“The CSI Madurai-Ramnad Diocese forcefully took over the American
College administration into its hands and conflict of interest started in the
year 2008 when this great college went into the hands of then Bishop Mr.Asir’s
family. The manner in which the present Governing Council was constituted by
bringing in wives as GC members shows the conflict of interest,” Dr.T.Chinnaraj
Joseph Jaikumar has said speaking to ‘Lotus Times’ website in Madurai on
November 9th 2024.
DVAC PROBE, COURT CASES AND
CORRUPTION:
The former Principal and Secretary had posed a few questions to the present Governing Council members and to the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese CSI Bishop who is the governing council president.
“The council is just a family club as every important member’s wife is made a member. What you call as conflict of interest is thrown to the wind. Foreign trips by GC members under one pretext or the other are unjust as the fees collected is used for luxuries. Even the Bishop’s wife who is not a member of the governing council is included in foreign trips. So, my question is why the present Governing Council of American College is not taking cognizance of the DVAC and DCE complaints? Are they not aware of the various complaints against the present Principal and Secretary Dr.M.Davamani Christober? Why the Church is allowing and what is the CSI Bishop doing? Where is your moral responsibility?,” Dr.T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar had asked.
QUESTIONS TO THE BISHOP:
Charging that the current Principal and Secretary Dr.M.Davamani Christober is greasing the palm of Church leaders, the former Principal had expressed concern that the administration of American College is becoming a prisoner of the Church power lobby which had appropriated the powers of the college Principal and Secretary.
“There are four complaints against Dr.M.Davamani Christober who had completed more than 10 years in the Pirncipal’s chair. Complaints are made for disproportionate wealth, corruption in teacher appointments, corruption in admission and misappropriation of UGC building grant.
“The CSI Bishop could have initiated an enquiry on the corruption charges against Dr.M.Davamani Christober. But the Bishop did not do that and even the Governing Council members did not ask anything. Dr.Davamani Christober has destroyed the tradition of liberal Christian higher education because there are no voices in the campus right now for ‘Save American College’ movement. So, I am today appealing to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to speed up its investigation and also probe the collective looting that is happening in such a reputed institution in the country like The American College. I also demand that all the Governing Council members should resign immediately,” Dr.T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar has raised his voice by giving more particulars.
He reiterated his demand for annual audit report and full
details of how much money was spent for foreign trips by the GC members. “The
struggle goes this way…Save American College to ‘God Save American College’….I
appeal to the State Government and all concerned authorities to swing into
action and do a through audit of Self-Financing courses money also,” the former
Principal and Secretary has said giving particulars on various points about
corruption and commercialization of Christian higher education in this first
part interview.
