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The following appeared in The New Indian Express on 28 July, 2008. Principal Dr. Chinnaraj Joseph had to go to the press clarifying the canard deliberately issued to local news papers by Bishop and his coterie regarding the position of our college under the Societies Act.

PRINCIPAL DENIES REPORT OF HIS REMOVAL

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
Madurai, July 27

“RELIGIOUS heads should not try to mix religion into the educational institutions,” said Chinnaraj Joseph, Principal, American College, here on Sunday.

Reacting to a news appeared in a newspaper that the Commercial Tax Department has removed him from the secretaryship of the college, he said that the department has no power to appoint or dismiss the secretary of a society which is registered under the Societies Registration Act.

The Bishop is trying to misuse the differences existing between the registrations of American College with the Government’s Registration Act of 1978 in his favour.

The problem started when five Hindu candidates of the total 25 posts were appointed in the government vacancies in the college. The Bishop, who is an ex-officio member of the American College Governance Council Society, is trying to monopolise it and mix religion into the campus.

The American College, which is functioning under the control of American College Governance Council, is not owned by the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA), which is a registered company under the Company’s Act.

All the problems started when the principal disagreed with the proposal of the Bishop's representative in the council meeting to dismiss it and enter into CSITA. Bishop, along with his son-in-law, Davamani Christober, is trying to collapse the secular tradition of the college.

The Bishop, who has no power to remove the secretrayship which is inseparable from the principal according to the bylaw of the college, is hiding the fact that only the Director of Collegiate Education has the power to do so. Owing to the anonymous threats received over phone, it is decided to request for police protection, according to Chinnaraj Joseph.


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