SEVEN students of the American College here announced a fast unto death on Wednesday. A group of students, who were organising a relay fast on the college premises decided to continue their fast unto death.
The students said that their fast was to press their earlier demands that a special administrator be appointed by the government to run the college till the dispute between faculty and Bishop was solved and that a high level panel be constituted by the state to probe the issue.
They also condemned the attack on students and faculty who were fasting peacefully at the college on Monday. Though the attack happened in broad daylight and everybody knew who instigated the violence, the police department intimidated the students, who were staging a peaceful demonstration.
They also alleged that the cops filed a false FIR against the students for damaging buses even though no buses were damaged. An FIR was tiled on former principal Chinnaraj Joseph also, they said.
(A complaint was lodged by the Bishop's group immediately after the violent incidents on 14th March 2011.. Tallakulam police immediately filed an FIR on that complaint without any time delay..! The FIR has the names the "Tamil pattimanram" fame Prof. Solomon Pappiah who was actually in Chennai at the time when these events took place! the FIR also has names of 26 faculty members who were actually the affected party! their cars and two-wheelers were severly damaged and some of their houses ransacked.. Hooligans broke into Dr. Chinnaraj Joseph's house and turned on the LPG gas cylinder so as to cause severe damage.. with a murderous motive.. )
"While, the real culprits go scot free. we, the innocent were always targeted. We are launching this fast untodeath because we found no other go," said the protesting students.
The agitators also wanted the semester examinations to be conducted only after the situation returns to normalcy.
Although, the pro-Bishop management reiterated that they would conduct exams in April, it will not be possible without the presence of permanent faculty, majority of whom were protesting against the Bishop, they pointed out.
"We are fighting desperately to urge the government to take action and we are being cheated in the name of elections. We have taken up fast unto death, so that the dispute will be resolved soon which will save the lives of more than 3,000 students of the college." the students said.
* Item in brackets were added by the blogger.
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