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The following are the photocopies of the SETTLEMENT !
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MEMBERS PRESENT:
1 The Most Rev. Moderator-Bishop and the President of the College Governing council
2. Dr., T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, Former Principal and Secretary
3. Dr. P.R. Anbudurai
4. Dr.,M. Davamani Christober, Present Principal & Secretary
5. Dr. P.P.Chelladurai
ARTICLE 1:
The American College is a Christian Minority Institution belonging to the Church of South India(Churches of Madurai-Ramnad)
Souls of Washburn & Zumbro, PLEASE FORGIVE US
ARTICLE 2:
The College will be managed and administered according to the Constitution and Bye-laws of the The American College, which shall be amended to cope up with the changing time. (???)
ARTICLE 5:
The staff shall discharge the respective duties to which they are appointed and the assignment that may be given to them by the Principal from time to time. Failure to adhere to this will entail in appropriate disciplinary action including removal from service.
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The following are the photocopies of the SETTLEMENT !
I have given the list of members present in the committee and THREE IMPORTANT articles in the settlement.
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE ISSUE CHAIRED BY THE MOST REV. MODERATOR - BISHOP HELD IN HIS CHAMBER AT 05.30M PM ON 14.06.12
MEMBERS PRESENT:
1 The Most Rev. Moderator-Bishop and the President of the College Governing council
2. Dr., T.Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, Former Principal and Secretary
3. Dr. P.R. Anbudurai
4. Dr.,M. Davamani Christober, Present Principal & Secretary
5. Dr. P.P.Chelladurai
ARTICLE 1:
The American College is a Christian Minority Institution belonging to the Church of South India(Churches of Madurai-Ramnad)
Souls of Washburn & Zumbro, PLEASE FORGIVE US
ARTICLE 2:
The College will be managed and administered according to the Constitution and Bye-laws of the The American College, which shall be amended to cope up with the changing time. (???)
ARTICLE 5:
The staff shall discharge the respective duties to which they are appointed and the assignment that may be given to them by the Principal from time to time. Failure to adhere to this will entail in appropriate disciplinary action including removal from service.
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ReplyDeleteDr. V.SWAMINATHAN writes ...
ReplyDeleteDr.Anbudurai cannot sign an agreement like this without the knowledge of the Council which he represents. It is unacceptable.
I also wonder how Dr. T.Chinnaraj Joseph, after all his hair-raising public speeches on the freedom and sovereignty of the college, could secretly agree to a false claim that this college belongs to the CSI.
The moderator and the CSI may better work on developing the institutions under their control than trying to take control of the American College.
Dr. V.SWAMINATHAN,
MEMBER
GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
Dear Swaminathan: PLEASE stick to your view of this circumstance. Our dear College has functioned as a Christian (and hence a minority) institution for 129 years, and does NOT need the CSI to shelter it. Yes, look at other CSI Colleges and compare with the quality and outreach that AC has in its history. WE DO NOT need more institutions to sink!
DeleteProf. RAJENDRA PANDIAN WRITES ...
ReplyDeleteNo delay in the initiation of corrective measures—such as convening the Governing Council—to control the damage can be in the interest of the college. As this organization is a Christian minority institution belonging to the Governing Council of the American College, Madurai who alone is mandated to “hold such property of the college”, ‘why should’ and ‘how could’ any one put it as “belonging to the CSI”? Can the Moderator tell us ‘When since’ the American College has been belonging to the CSI and where is it mentioned in the list of CSI institutions presented in the CSI constitution?
One might not be mistaken if they felt the contours of ‘encroachment’ and ‘land-grabbing’ in this high drama and it’s time the Governing Council—who we look up to as the conscience and custodian of this college—rescued its sovereignty and property (The American College) first by containing those who lend themselves—knowingly or unknowingly—to serve the adversary’s cause. It can do it by holding an Emergency / Special Meeting or by taking ‘suo motu ‘control over the situation and exercising its “revisionary powers”.
Dr. K. ALAGESAN writes ....
ReplyDeleteIs this what we fought for?
Dr. K. ALAGESAN
MEMBER
GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteProf. A. WINFRED writes.
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution of the American College dates back to 1934 and the Diocese of Madurai-Ramnad under C.S.I. came into existence only after 1942. How could there be a provision for ownership of the college to the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese? The Christian Bishop is just a fourth member of the Governing Council. The graceful arrangement to honour the Bishop of the Madurai – Ramnad Diocese to preside over the college council meetings were the custom, none else. He has no powers of administering the college by any virtue of Constitutional authority.
If the American College is another added property or an organization of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese under C.S.I., where is the recorded evidence?
The Governing Council of the great American college, Madurai, under the guidance and purview of the Constitution of the American College which was duly registered under the Societies Act of Tamil Nadu, the then Madras Presidency, has today been totally and willfully mutilated on selfish and personal profits.
So in fine, to eradicate the blatant lie that the American College belongs to the Diocese of Madurai – Ramnad, the true and lawful governing council of the American College strongly endorsed and supported by the Registered Constitution must meet with it s legally accepted members, meet very early and decide the fact that the Diocese of Madurai-Ramnad, has no hand in our college.
Prof. A. WINFRED,
Former H.O.D. of Zoology Dept.,
MEMBER, GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
Prof. A. Winfred is not very correct. The American College Constitution was ammended during the period of Principal Dr. M. A. Thangaraj. I think it has not undergone any ammendmend thereafter. An important amendment made at that time was The Bishop of Diocese of Madurai & Ramnad shall be the President of the Governing Council. It should be noted that prior to that the Bishop was only a member of the Governing Council (old copies of the constitution will be available in the college library). A person was elected on the floor to preside over each meeting and more often than not the Bishop was the president for the meetings. So the College with full knowledge surrendered itself to CSI, courtesy Dr. M.A. Thangaraj and Prof. G. Devarajan who drafted the ammendments. When I, a member of the Governing Council at that time, asked for the reasons I was told it will be necessary to maintain the minority status of the College. In this context let me tell you one other ammendment Dr. Thangaraj wanted to make. It was abolition of the faulty representatives in the Governing council. I was one of those who stoutly opposed it and the ammendment was dropped. People like Authur harris and Rev Kelly appreciated my stand.
ReplyDeleteI think it is time we accept the reality and with full faith in God accept the present situation that has brought the College back on its rails after four years of derailment. If people have faith and believe that all our actions are controlled by God the College will take care of itself. Working of the College is more important at the present stage. VS
Prof. v.s.,
ReplyDeletei fully appreciate your good intentions. but i cannot go along with your views, burdening the load on God, and only on god!
we have to do what we should. presently it is to take the DERAILED college on to the RIGHT tracks. FAITH alone is not enough. ACTIONS are more important.
Prof. RAJENDRA PANDIAN writes ...
ReplyDeleteProf. Arthur Harris and Rev. Kelly were right in appreciating Prof. V.S. that he ”stoutly opposed” a move that —if unstopped—would have been pernicious to the democratic structure of the Council and the overall interest of the college. He deserves every body’s appreciation on that.
At the same time I don’t exactly understand what “reality” he wants us to accept and end the struggle. I’m sure we are not a bunch of sadomasochists who take pleasure in inflicting pain and humiliation on themselves. Nobody loves this fight. No doubt we all want peace. We are tired of this ugly fight we are locked in with unscrupulous outsiders and insiders at a time. We may even lose, God forbid. But I can’t convince myself—for a moment—that we can just idle or mind our own business with‘indifference’ or ‘resignation’ and let the college be looted in broad day light. As we draw hope from the verse: “We are hard-pressed on all sides but not crushed…” (2 Cor 4:8) ” we are also propelled into action by the refrain: “Therefore, fight, O Arjuna!” (Gita 2:18).
The elevation of the Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese cannot be called a surrender to the CSI because he remained just a figure-head and not an administrative-head. It was just an ornamental position and his duty was to preside over the G.C.meetings. Nothing more than that.
ReplyDeleteThe problem started only when the former Bishop tried to bring the College under the Diocesan control. (The College doesn't find a place in the list of Diocesan institutions so far.)The four-year old struggle is all about preserving and protecting the unique identity and individuality of the College.
In fact, even the American Trustees have made their vehement opposition to the atrocious attempt to convert it into a Church-controlled institution, abundantly clear more than once.
In the name of compromise to bring peace on campus, we cannot justify this blatantly wrong and utterly unholy move, taken by a group of unscrupulous people, interested only in power and position, that too, even without the knowlege of the legally constituted Governing Council.
All is not lost yet. Now is the time for the G.C. to assert itself and save the College.
If out Prof. Samuel Lawrence is one of those management staff who stood by Dr. Anbudurai for full four years without regular income he would not have written such a comment. What Dr. Anbudurai has done is correct in the interest of the welfare of the families of the managment stafff who were with him. Having achieved this I am sure he and his team will achieve what best is possible under the present circumstances. The Missionaries handed over the college to the locals in good faith. The locals brought in the bishop probably in good fasith. Let us all in the same good faith hope that the autonomy of the Governing Council is preserved. This can happen only if people with vested interest keep avay from the College. Those who cannot do much should stay away without making comments and observations that is of not much use. God is Great. He will trake care of the College well. I am one of those who have full faith in that.
ReplyDelete//...people with vested interest keep away from the College.//
ReplyDeletehow i wish we started naming them !!