SILENCE OF GOVERNMENT IS DISTURBING, SAY FACULTY

SUNDAY EXPRESS DATED 20-03-2011

"The silence of the government regarding the college issue is very disturbing" faculty members of The American College who oppose the Bishop and his men state in their interaction with the media here on Saturday.

A High Court verdict dated 29 August 2009 (see the link:- http://judis.nic.in/judis_chennai/qrydisp.aspx?filename=20120) clearly rules out any role of Bishop inside the college (or in the administration of the college) and it clearly says that Bishop should not enter the premises, however the Bishop took over the college (with the connivance of police and the Directorate of Collegiate Education) against the court orders, they charged.

The facculty members expressed concern over media identifying them as Chinnaraj Joseph's supporters. THIS IS NOT A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO PERSONALITIES BUT A STRUGGLE TO PROTECT THE COLLEGE BEING ANNEXED BY BISHOP FOR HIS PERSONAL GAINS. He has violated the constitution of the American College which has made it a secular institute, they reiterated.

The tradition of the college believes that only by ensuring the quality of its staff, the quality of education is ensured but this appears to be threatened now and faculty pointed out few colleges run by CSI diocese and the malpractice going on in these institutions. "The same fate will fall upon The American College, if the Bishop is allowed to take over the college and WE CANNOT TOLERATE THIS", the faculty said.

It is disheartening to note that even the Higher Education Minister and Principal Secretary of Higher Education are keeping mun, though violence was unleashed upon faculty and students in the college campus, they charged. The attitude of the government and the police gives the impression that a high level conspiracy has been hatched.

"We demand that at least a special officer be appointed to run the college till the dispute is solved. The fact that salary for the staff on both sides (particularly the aided faculty and non-teaching that too for the past three months since the problem started on 10th December 2010) have not been disbursed indicates that all is not well in the college, yet there is no response from the government side. Hence, we will continue our struggle to ensure that justice prevails", the faculty mentioned.