12.12.10  THE HINDU

Protests, police return to college

Protests and police are back in American College campus here over the issue of appointment of Principal.

While one group has geared up for an emergency meeting of the college's governing council on Sunday, another group has begun protests over the order issued by the Director of Collegiate Education giving approval for the appointment of R. Mohan as Principal in-charge.

On Saturday, staff belonging to both the groups defended their stand claiming that they were going by the constitution and bylaws of the American College. 

The Directorate of Collegiate Education gave its concurrence for Dr. Mohan to be the Principal in-charge and Secretary and he entered the chamber on Friday.

“I have assumed office only after obtaining due approval from the Director of Collegiate Education,” Dr. Mohan said. 

The governing council meeting on Sunday would ratify his appointment as Principal in-charge. Christopher Asir, college president and Bishop of Madurai-Ramnad Diocese of the Church of South India, will preside over the meeting. 

A section of college staff staged a demonstration on the campus on Saturday afternoon objecting the appointment of Dr. Mohan as Principal in-charge in the place of Vice-Principal P. R. Anbudurai who was earlier appointed as Principal in-charge and Secretary on December 6 through another governing council meeting following the retirement of T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar. 

A senior professor who is supporting the Bishop and Dr. Mohan's appointment has said that “the governing council meeting held on December 6 is null and void and it is against the college constitution and bylaws.”

The 14-member governing council is meeting on Sunday for two reasons: it will ratify the appointment of Dr. Mohan as acting Principal and also form a search committee for selecting the next Principal.

A section of college staff who opposed the “excessive interference” of Bishop in the college affairs has demanded the Director of Collegiate Education to withdraw the approval given for appointing Dr. Mohan as Principal in-charge. 

They also insisted that Vice-Principal P. R. Anbudurai should be made Principal in-charge in consonance with the constitution/rules. 

As per a decision taken on Friday, the college would remain closed till January 2 as the Christmas vacation was advanced citing students' safety. A posse of police personnel have been deployed in the campus in view of the current developments.

The college has been witnessing problems owing to differences of opinion between the two groups for the past few years and police presence had become a regular feature as a precautionary measure.