AT LAST SOME GOOD TIDES ARE COMING OUR WAY

*


In the last three days things are happening. If they are the pieces of a puzzle then it may fit to expose the real image of the bishop and his coterie.


23.09.08
On last Tuesday, there was a call from the Collector of Madurai inviting forpeace meeting. 3 members from the Principal’s side and another 3 from bishop’s side were to attend this meeting in the presence of Collector, Commissioner of Police, Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Registrar of Societies and Chief Educational Officer.


24.09.08

Chinnaraj Joseph (Principal), P.R. Anbudurai, (Vice Principal and Principal in charge) and Prof. K. Anbunathan represented our college and none turned up from bishop’s side. However our trio faced the committee and has given clarifications to our stand.


25.09.08
On Wednesday came the hearing of the writ petition filed by P.R. Anbudurai, Principal (in charge) to prevent A. Christopher Asir, Bishop of Church of South India, Madurai and Ramnad Diocese. Justice Chandru passed the order restraining Bishop from conducting convention. The report of the Hindu in its e-paper is given below. However some observations of the Justice are missing which find a place in Madurai Edition. Since that carries good message I give it here first. They actually form the last part of the report you find below :

Counsel for the bishop argued that the annual convention was being conducted on the college premises in September since 1947. (My note: Not true. Even last year it was conducted in the premises of O.C.P.M.School and even for this year it was earlier announced to be in the O.C.P.M.School but changed to American College Campus after they successfully conducted their unlawful coup on last 29th.) Even the college calendar makes a mention of it. “The petitioner can’t approach the court at the last moment.”

The judge said the convention could be postponed. “You have thousands of places to conduct conventions, why choose this college premises?” he asked the counsel and pointed out that Friday and Saturday (the first two days of the convention) were working days for the college.

When it was suggested that the college could declare holidays during the convention, the judge replied: “YOU (BISHOP) CAN’T BE LOUIS XIV AND SAY I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT. YOU CAN’T CLOSE DOWN THE COLLEGE. YOU ARE ONLY A CHAIRMAN, HOW CAN YOU DISTURB THE ACADEMIC SCHEDULE?”


26.09.08

As expected bishop went for appeal against the above judgment and hearing was today at 12.30 pm in the Madurai High Court Bench of Justice Murugesan and Satyanarayana. The whole band of teaching and non-teaching staff and students in the campus were going through tense moments. It was anxiety filled minutes. There was a good result just yesterday from the courts. The bishop has been shown his right place by Justice Chandru just the previous day. Wondering what is awaiting today.

It so happened I was in Morning Side with Principal. At 12.30 we got the info that the court has started the hearing of the counsels. Then at 1 pm another message “wait”.


Well, the wait was long and very agonizing. I don’t remember a day when the hands of the clock moved ever so slowly! We tried to contact people. No response whatsoever. As the time went on without any news we thought it could be the worse feared thing. One tried to pacify the other, “no news is good news”. So went the time. At last when the time was nearing 2, we got a crisp news from Anbunathan that the case is dismissed. Then only after few more minutes a call from him gave the details. The bench has been also very forthright in its judgment. When the bishop’s counsel asked for “only accommodation” it was forthrightly denied by the judges since it could create a law and order problem.


It appears TRUTH is slowly beginning to triumph. Anyway many more hurdle to cross…..










Date:26/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/26/stories/2008092655540500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Bench restrains Bishop from conducting convention
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday restrained A. Christopher Asir, Bishop of Church of South India (CSI), Madurai and Ramnad Diocese, from conducting a religious convention on the American College premises here between Friday and Sunday.
Justice K. Chandru granted the interim injunction on the ground that the Bishop had not complied with the statutory requirement of obtaining permission from the Director of Collegiate Education. He directed the Collector and the Police Commissioner to enforce the order and report compliance.
The interim orders were passed on a writ petition filed by P.R. Anbudurai, Principal (in charge) of the college. He had alleged that the Bishop had decided to conduct the convention to incite violence and create a law and order problem in the institution.
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu