EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE, MADURAI, MARCH 3
FRUSTRATED by the government’s lethargy in solving The American College issue, around 200 students laid siege to the District Collectorate, here, on Thursday (3rd March 2011).
Students belonging to The American College Students Federation (ACSF) started assembling in the collectorate campus around 11am with petitions in hand. The students told media persons that due to the ongoing struggle between the faculty members and the Bishop, they were the worst affected. “Without classes being conducted, we are anxious about the semester examinations and are worried about our future”, they said.
They pointed out that the college (under the “acting principalship” of Mr. Mohan who “appointed” illegally by Bishop, broke open the college and took possession) was projecting a picture that around 2500 students were attending classes but this was untrue. As most of the teaching staff were agitating aginst the Bishop, very few teachers were left in the departments.
The students were also charged that unqualified persons (these ‘teachers’ were recently appointed withuout following any norms by the Bishop appointee Mr. Mohan) were taking classes and added that in departments like Economic and Commerce, only attendance was being taken and NO CLASSES were held. This they said was being done to showcase that the college was functioning smoothly.
The students also charged that the college management under the Bishop’s control was intimidating them and they were not being provided meals in the hostels. “When we told about how our future would be affected, the (agitating) faculty members came forward to take classes under the tree. However, the students who attend these classes were illtreated in the hostels”, one student complained.
There are lot of outsiders and rowdies in the campus, they have been appointed as college staff (by the Bishop group) and they threaten students. One student was also beaten up by them, they alleged. “We are not provided food in the hostel in spite of paying fees. A girl student was called up on her mobile and was threatened by the rowdies (appointed as staff in the college)” the students lamented. “We are demanding the government to appoint a special administrator to look into the administration of the college till the dispute was resolved”, the students said.
“Though the high level committee has been appointed (by the Tamil Nadu Chief minister), enquiry has not begun (sofar) and whenever we come to meet the collector, we were not allowed to see him”, they charged.
The students shouted slogans and demanded that they be allowed to meet the Collector. Police personnel rushed to the spot and askerd a few students to represent their petition to the Collector, however the students refused (because they were waiting to meet for more than an hour) and pressed that the Collector come down and meet them.
Later, DRO, Murugesh came down to meet the students and listened to their complaints. After hearing the students, the DRO consulted with the police personnel present and told Tallakulam Inspector Chidambara Murugesan to take action against the anti-social elements inside the campus. Following this ten students went to the Collector’s chamber to present their petition. Later, they came out and said that the Collector had assured them that steps will be taken against the rowdies present in the campus and also measures would be taken to provide food for hostel students.
He also assured them that he will talk to people at the Secretariat and see that the committee visits the college at the earliest.
After submitting a complaint regarding intimidation of rowdies in the campus and ill-treatment in the hostel, the students dispersed from the premises by 2 pm.
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