This is the letter from one of our alumni that has gone to many alumni all over the world:

18 April, 2008

Dear Friends of the American College,


Our Alma matter is in trouble. It needs your help. It needs you badly to save it from greed.

All along our life, we are proud of our college and its tradition for enriching our lives through the experiences we gained from our beloved teachers and good friends. Now, our pride and our heritage is at stake.
Let me explain, in case if you are not aware of the recent developments.

Church is for the society
Unfortunately, the Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad diocese(Christopher Asir) does not believe in serving the society . After assuming the role of Bishop, he willfully subverted church functions to suit his (and his family's) favour (press reported many of them). No individual had tarnished the image of the diocese like Mr. Asir.
Not satisfied with the self-aggrandizement, he managed to appoint his son-in-law(Davamani Christopher) as the bursar of our college. This allowed him to access the financial records and assets of the college.

The pseudo-religious bishop, his kin and a group of stooges (financial beneficiaries), hatched a plan to rake millions out of the College properties. And they want to get rid of anyone standing in their way. They even enacted an ugly drama at the campus. Overnight, they removed the Principal (Dr.Chinnaraj Joseph) from the chair and made their stooge (Mr. George Selva kumar) as the principal-in-charge. It is illegal as per the college constitution. Bishop does not have any right to interfere in the college administration except heading the Governing Council of our college. It is only a respectable and figure-head position.
But why would they do this? They want to build a shopping mall in our college space! Can you believe it?

Shopping mall, no playground
Now, the bishop assumed the role of a real-estate agent, wants to build a mall in place where the playground is located. He wants to change the ownership to land sharks for a 99 years lease. A wide propaganda in the church that all these acts are done with much prayer to make this campus as a 'typical Christian College'. It is an “accepted norm” to get money for appointments in the Diocesan schools under the direct control of Bishop. If only they can extend the same in our college, how fast their coffers could fill …!

Against the muscle power
They even brought police inside campus to create panic and confusion, but this plan was foiled, as the staff joined hands showing their solidarity and support to Principal and also to dare the police. This event eventually has helped us to organize our loyal staff to show their solidarity for our great institution. In addition, a number of well wishers who hold posts in the government, police and in the legal front, apart from the vibrant alumni are coming forward to join the struggle and to show their solidarity to our college.

Save the college
Today a member of the Governing Council has resigned his membership enabling us to get majority. There are 7 members of the Governing Council now, who are interested in protecting the interests of the college, whereas there are 6 members who have chosen to be the Bishop’s supporters. We hope and pray sincerely that our labor may not go in vain to preserve and promote the rich heritage and the great contributions of the missionaries.

At a felicitation function for one of our prestigious alumnus, an Old Students Meet has been organized on the 17th April 2008 at Chennai with a press meet. We hope that most of the Central Government Officers, Media Personnel, Professors of various colleges and others will extend their supporting hands to the "SAVE AMERICAN COLLEGE MOVEMENT ". This movement may aid in making the college more independent and strong.

How can you help?
You can help by spreading this message across to yours friends and peers. We have to make the friends of our college know Bishop’s wrong-doings and demand transparency in functioning of the diocese and college. Let us join together to make a new revised constitution so that the exploiters who use religion (Christianity) as a tool to keep the masses in constant fear of God for their own wicked interests, may not succeed.

http://saveamericancollege.blogspot.com/ - visit this blog to get updated on this struggle to save our college. comments are welcome.

For personal communication: saveamericancollege@gmail.com


Thank you

ALAGESA PANDIAN, an alumnus.