CSI BISHOP CHRISTOPHER ASIR UNDER SCANNER

 

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DMK bigwigs come under scanner

L. Srikrishna

The Hindu, Madurai

The district administration seems to be determined to take action as per law against people who had allegedly encroached on government land assigned for specific purposes.

According to reliable sources, following complaints that the Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Madurai urban district secretary G. Thalapathi and CSI Bishop Christopher Asir, among others, had either encroached upon government land or sold the assigned land for monetary gains, the district administration had summoned them through a notice to appear in person or through representatives on January 4 at 11 a.m.

The charge was that Mr. Alagiri and his family members, who are trustees in the M.K. Alagiri Educational Trust, had destroyed the water source to a cultivable land covering many survey numbers in Tirumangalam, while raising a new building.

The Union Minister's family has also promoted an Information Technology (IT) Park near Maatuthavani integrated bus stand, wherein too, there were allegations that a portion of land had been encroached upon.

Mr. Thalapathi's family members have built a kalyana mandapam on a land on the GST Road, which too, according to the revenue authorities, was acquired in as early as 1952 for a public park.

The CSI Bishop, it is alleged, had sold a piece of land, which was again a violation.

Similarly, a school intended for educating the workers' children near Workshop Road had proposed to wind up under some pretext or the other. The complaint was that the persons in power in the previous regime had influenced the move.

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GREETINGS

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Dr. O.G.BERLIN  wishes ...

Hi Sam,
Thank you for all the informative emails you have been sending to us during the troubled times. Hopefully the new year will bring better tidings for the college, and as the saying goes, "if winter comes, is spring far behind?"

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GREETINGS FROM Prof. D.SAMUEL LAWRENCE ...

Jesus, born in a manger as a small baby, symbolises love, peace and goodwill. In these troubled times, it may be difficult for us to understand the meaning of this significant event. But,still, overcoming feelings of frustration and despair, let us try to press on in the faith and hope that Good  will ultimately vanquish Evil.

The three year old struggle to save our American College from the deadly clutches of the so-called Bishop, clearly demonstrates that, amidst the apparent defeats and failures, the unseen hand of God has always been helping us in more than one way, on more than one occassion. The money power and muscle power has not been able to crush the crusading spirit of the loyalists. It will never be able to do that. 

During this season of festivities, let us particularly remember those valiant fighters- the Management Faculty and Non-teaching staff, who have not yet received their salary. They have sacrificied a lot and it is our moral duty to do our utmost to help them get it. Then only our happiness will be meaningful and complete.  

The God of love is also God of justice. Let this Christmas enable us to reaffirm our faith in this truth and help us to carry on the good fight with unflagging zeal.

With hearty Christmas greetings to everyone fighting for truth and justice,

D.Samuel Lawrence 

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Dr. A.R. VENKITARAMAN wishes with heavy heart ....

Dear Sam,

 

Recent mail from Dharumi suggests that 'something is rotten in the state of Denmark'.  Gheraoing the Regional Director of Collegiate Education on campus, stealing the gold chain worn by a little girl when she is alone in her campus house, events breaking the heart of her father who had to be rushed to the Hospital for a cardiac procedure - such perfidious acts are unknown to the culture, tradition and history of the American College.  But they are happening now.  So something has indeed gone rotten in the state of Denmark!  And now it has to be set right.  Hope that the effort goes on.  All the best to the effort and those involved in it.

 

Greetings of the season and good wishes for a happy New year to you and family.

 

A.R.Venkitaraman 

 

 

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GREAT FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE

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A meeting to condole the passing away of three great friends of our  College- Dr.Griffis, Dr.Eric Gass and Rev.William Kelley-  was held on Thursday, 15-12-2011,at 1.30 p.m. in front of the Flint house housing the Department of English (U.G) . 

 

As members of the Board of Trustees of our College, the first two, have contributed a great deal to the growth and development of this glorious institution. Rev.William Kelly, as Chaplain, was responsible  for introducing several radical changes in worship services and Bible study sessions . Particularly, in recent times, when the College has been passing through a period of crisis after crisis, they were a source of great strength and support. Their deep attachment to this College cannot be expressed in words. And they were also sincerely concerned about the way it has been  sought to be converted into a church-controlled institution, which is totally against the wishes of its founding fathers. Obviously, they could not tolerate the heinous attempt to destroy  its  noble traditions and to subvert  its sacred constitution, and they were quite eager to do all that was possible to strengthen the hands of those fighting for the College. And,help they rendered, financially and otherwise. And their help went a long way in sustaining the struggle which still continues.,

 

The Principal-in-charge, Dr. Anbudurai, paid a glowing tribute to their services to the College and expressed a sense of irrepairable loss in their passing away. Prof.V.Srinivasan, former Head  of the Physics Department, recounted his long and mutually enriching friendly relationship with Rev.Kelley and vividly remembered some meaningful  experiences with him.

 

These three noble souls have truly been a source of inspiration to all those struggling for the College, unmindful of the difficulties and problems they face almost every day. Let their life of deep love for the American College and its high ideals continue to guide us in the days to come and enable us to be  worthy inheritors of its rich heritage, always ready to defend it at any cost.

  

D.Samuel Lawrence

 

photos: from Dr. Anbudurai

LETTER FROM Rev.Dr. SIDNEY FOWLER

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Rev. Dr. Sidney D.  Fowler
First Congregational  United Church of Christ
309 E Street,  NW
Washington, DC  20001.

Reverend Dr. Richard B. Griffis, United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor and former  national staff member, died in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning, December  6.  Through his long ministry, Richard served the church through a remarkable variety of settings – as a pastor of local churches, with both the  conference and national settings of the UCC, and through justice and  inter-religious activism. He was 77.


Richard had standing in the Connecticut Conference  serving as senior minister of Immanuel Congregational UCC, Hartford, for  thirteen years. He also served as an interim minister at Round Hill  Church in Greenwich, at Congregational Church of Union, and as Interim  Minister of Stewardship and Mission Interpretation for the Connecticut  Conference. For the Capitol Region Conference of Churches, Richard was  co-director of Breakthrough to the Aging. He also served Plymouth  Congregational Church in Minneapolis, First Congregational UCC of Minnesota in  Minneapolis, and First Congregational UCC in Grand Marais MN. In 1965, while  serving First Congregational UCC of Minnesota, Richard marched with Martin  Luther King, Jr. at Selma, Alabama. Richard was the founder of the Connecticut Committee for Interreligious Understanding Along with his wife, Anne Hungerford Griffis, they  served with the American Friends Service Committee in Nigeria in assisting  with relief and reconstruction after the Biafra civil war.  From  1972-1977, Richard served on the staff of the former UCC Office for Church  Life and Leadership in New York City and as assistant to Robert Moss,  President of the UCC.


Since 2002, Richard and Anne have been living in  Washington DC near their sons, Geoffrey and Roger, and their families  including 5 grandchildren.  In DC, Richard was an active member of First Congregational UCC – serving on the Church Council, Social Action and  Awareness Commission, and as a frequent preacher and worship leader.  He  was a Board member of the United Nations Association of the National Capital  Area, member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, member  of the Steering Committee of the Unity Walk, and trustee of the Endowment Fund  of the American College in Madurai, India.


A memorial service will  celebrate Richard’s life and faith on Sunday,  January 15, at 4:00 pm at First  Congregational UCC in Washington, DC. The service will be only the third  worship service in the new downtown building that Richard was instrumental in  supporting its construction. 


In lieu of flowers, the  family kindly suggests donations to the United Nations Association, National  Capitol Area (UNA 2000 P Street NW Suite 630, Washington DC 20036) and First  Congregational UCC (309 E Street NW, Washington DC,  20001).

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A LETTER FROM Dr. RIESZ TO PRINCIPAL Dr. ANBUDURAI

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Dear Dr. Anbudurai:

 It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you of the deaths of THREE of the long-term supporters of the College.

1. ON October 14, 2011 died Rev. William A. Kelly, a UCBWM missionary for two terms as Chaplain of the American College in the 1950's and 1960's. He and his present wife visited the College a couple of years ago and were at that time enthusiastic about the Progress of the College. He was a colleague of  mine when we arrived in 1963 and we depended on him for a lot of things. We will miss him, as will several older colleagues at the College. I think of Prof. B. Gunaraj and Prof.Chellappa  Can you please inform them?

2. On December 8, 2011 I was called by the wife of Trustee Dick Griffis, to tell that he had the day before suffered a massive stroke, from which he did not recover. He was the faithful and hard-working Secretary of the Trust, and had visited the College a number of times, with great affection. How we will replace him is a venture we have not yet attempted.

3. Yesterday I received an e-message from Pat Gass, the wife of Trustee Eric Gass, who had been a UCBWM missionary in India for many years, and was for some time the South Asia Secretary for the UCBWM, to say that he had died that morning (December 10, 2011) from a cancer for which he had been under treatment for 20 months. Eric was for me a dear colleague and sensitive boss  who carried the well- being of American College deep in his heart. Again, finding replacement for him will be a huge task for us.

It may be suitable if you can find an appropriate method to share this information with members of the College.

I am copying this to all the Trustees so they will be aware of the contents.



Regards,

Richard P. Riesz, President
American College Endowment Trust

Dick Riesz

HEARTLESS AND CHEAP ....... WHAT ELSE TO EXPECT?

THEY ARE CHEAP !

Dr. Silas Ebenezar, one of the wardens of our college, has got many a problem during this struggle. Probably he has been overloaded !  Presently he is in the hospital with a bye pass done on him last week.

Yesterday his relative, his sister-in-law, came in her car to the Silas’ house after attending him in the hospital. Her car was stopped at the toll-gate like obstruction. (The bioshoporial group has such funny contraptions in two places in the college, one near fountain on the western side of the Main Hall and another one opposite Auditorium. I don’t know what or who are they trying to stop!)  One of the appointees of Christopher stopped the car and snatched the key of the car. When the driver and Silas’ relative asked for the key, he asked them to come to the “Principal’s office” to get the keys.

The lady immediately rang up the police who turned up soon in the scene. The watchman at the gate refused to give the name of the culprit. But the police, with their earlier experience in the campus, rightly pinned the guy and finally made him come there. They had to use their powers to get the car key from that guy.

It simply shows the meanness and stupid arrogance of the “PRINCIPAL” and what sort of noble instructions he has given to his menial staff.  Knowing well that the professor is in hospital for a major ailment, not a normal human being would try to obstruct his relative to freely move between the hospital and home. IT JUST SHOWS WHAT THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF.

REACTION OF A 'STRANGER' !

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It is a blogger friend for whom I sent this URL of our college blog to 'enjoy' the sad music that I have attached in this blog. But things have gone beyond that.  The friend, out of just curiosity, went through some of the posts in this blog. This friend does not have any relationship with our college. But the happenings in our campus have made an impact and this is the reaction  .....

Hi,

I was just going through your american College Blog and I could just inhale your passion for the institution that you worked for. It is always a historical truth that religion at a certain period does not remain merely as an institution of faith, but interferes  in all the administration activities.  Religion should restrict themselves to  worship and help the soul for its divinity, instead of interfering to achieve some material exigency. Religious gusto has misplaced the priorities of the essence of education.

The church is full (infested) of bling pastors and bishops  and for them  education is a lucrative business.

regards ........... Dr. DV

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