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ROBSON'S 'THEY' & SURI'S 'WE'
Dr.
RAJENDRA PANDIAN
Former
Governing Council Member
This rainy evening reminds me of a similar time a couple
of years ago when a team of us set out to visit the homes of some of our
colleagues [who were part of the new administration] to discuss certain
pressing issues and possible ways out. It was about 8 pm; after a long
obnoxious day. We were with Dr. Robson Benjamin discussing the one last
chance we had to mount a combined resistance to save the college. The meeting
lasted for about forty minutes. Prof. Suryakumar, Dr. Navaneetha Kannan and Dr.
Barnabas did most of the talking, as I remember. The rest were so involved:
either in the talks that they forgot the snacks or with the snacks that they ignored
the talks. I was with the latter. I was sipping the coffee absolutely enjoying
the coziness of the space and watching outside the swaying trees in the windy showers.
I was interrupted by Dr. Benjamin’s outburst: “You
know what? They think they can do
any damn thing and get away with it in the name of ‘minorities’. The best way
to save the American College is to persuade and help the government to take it
over”. One could see an honest resentment; leave alone the height of
frustration in his statement. Prof. Suryakumar, with his characteristic politeness,
replied: “Oh Robson! I’m afraid you are wrong. How can we forego our legitimate rights [given by the governments] just
because a few unscrupulous people are misusing that? We cannot and should not
think on those lines”.
Dr. Robson Benjamin and Prof. Suryakumar were fully
entitled to have just the opposite views and they might have been equally right
even then. But the ‘beauty’ one could see in this exchange was moving and redeeming.
We found for once where this great institution lived. It suddenly felt like I had
understood the Nehruvian assertion that Indian secularism is not an
intellectual conception but an emotional experience.
Well, I think, I’m not particularly averse to the
idea of a possible government takeover of the college, as the last resort, to
save it from being ‘stolen’ by some professional robbers and rogues in the garb
of religion. However, I do believe, desire and pray that the American College,
as a Christian institution with secular traditions, may continue to be so—strengthened
by the ideals of introspection and compassion as embodied in Robson’s “THEY”
and Suri’s “WE”.
Dear Rajendra Pandian, Robson and Suri and others like you who still think about the future of the College: The Government taking over the College will be like jumping from frying pan into fire. Further it is not possible. The Government once tried to take over a College in Tirunelveli administered by Muslims and it was not possible. The American College need not have that fear. There are two possibilities. Wait patiently till the present administration leaves by retirement or by a natural cause as it happened with the bishop father in law. Or build a strong force of dedicated faculty members and over throw the present administration as we Indians did to the British. A third alternative will be to bring in a Fidel Castro type of a person into the firld but there is a fear such a person may not be better than the existing person. Best wishes
ReplyDelete
DeletepProf. DEVADOSS PANDIAN writes ......
V.S. response is right on target.
Devadoss Pandian
DeleteI sincerely wish that The American College is saved from the present minorities ,it should not be taken over by government too.I felt good when i read as the lines expressed genuine people's talks.I could visualise Suri sir's
characteristic politeness.
Just think of those days in 86-88, how our college was.
There were green trees but no weeds,don't know where and when they grew.It should attain its original secular status,a few years ago i attended a secular music concert in the college by the coll.choir.The music should be heard in the campus in future .
Robson's 'They' and Suri's 'We' beautifully and meaningfully sums up the intense and sincere feelings of all those who have had the privilege and pleasure of being associated with this great institution one way or the other, and who have been moulded and refined by it's scholarly and secular atmosphere. Those who hold the American College near and dear to their heart would never like its basic structure and fundamental principles to be either distorted or destroyed. While it is true that it would be extremely difficult for the Government to take over the college because of the 'minority rights' it enjoys, one cannot be oblivious to the fact that it is in the name of 'minority rights' and in the garb of religion, all kinds of wicked and evil things are done, without any fear of accountability and consequent punishment.
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that this institution, founded by God Himself, through His missionaries, will be saved by Him at the right time and in His own way, from the clutches of the evil forces who appear to have a free run now. Soon, very soon, nemesis will overtake them and The American College will be restored to its original glory. Of course, as instruments of God, we have to do our best.
The following verse from Psalm 92:7 would strengthen our faith and hope.
'the wicked may grow like the weeds.
those who do wrong may prosper;
yet they will be totally destroyed,
because, you Lord are supreme forever.
I firmly believe that this institution, founded by God Himself, ... will be saved by Him at the right time .... The American College will be restored to its original ... as instruments of God, ...
DeleteDSL,
how great would it be if i do have this sort of FAITH .... but,oh my god, i dont have it!!!!
YES I also believe that this great institution "founded for the people by the people shall not perish from the earth" Lincoln: Please excuse if I have made any mistake in quoting from your speech from my memory.
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