A CLARIFICATION

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PART I:

It appears some canard has been going around justifying the entry of the bishop and his coterie into our campus. The supporting argument put forward by them is that “the High Court judgment has given the bishop the legal authority to take over the college”.

It is not so. The DCE, the highest officer of the academic instituions (colleges) in the State, passes an order against the pleas of the bishop that Dr. Chinnaraj Joseph is the Principal. Bishop goes to High Court to stay that order of DCE and High Court stays that order and also passes an injunction against the principal. This in no way makes Dr. George Selvakumar automatically and legally the principal. In the court in one of the earlier cases the GC convened by the bishop was found unacceptable since -

-- the resolutions of that council were signed just by two (no quorum was established)
-- minutes in the proper minute book could not be submitted (the one-quire note book which was submitted in the court was not acceptable to the judge)

Based on these things, It should have been Dr.Anbudurai, the Vice-Principal who should have utomatically become the Principal- in-charge.

The next normal and proper course of action for the principal is to plead the court to vacate that stay and injunction. He has done so.

In the same way the next normal and proper course of action for the bishop is to get a verdict that the GC convened by them is legal and the resolutions of that GC is lawful. They have not done any such thing; in stead with just the inunction order, they have convinced the police – I dont know how! - that they have the legal stand to take over the college. And sure, they have done it.

We anxiously wait for the court verdict with the fervent hope that truth will prevail.


PART II:


I personally received two mails - one asking for clarifications on the locus standi of bishop in the take over of the college; and another accusing that the staff and students have been instigated to go against the bishop. I think for the former I have tried to clarify that the bishop and his coterie do not have any locus standi to take over / capture (the favourite terms used always in these days by bishop's coterie)the college. It is out and out ulnlwful. Their MIGHT - which of late they have accrued by so many means known to the whole world - has won now.

For the second mail which accuses that the staff and students have been instigated by the Principal:

It accused me personally also. I consider this more as a joke. A retired person like me and other score of retired professors are not kids to be carried away by anybody. Just look at the photographs in the page:

http://saveamericancollege.blogspot.com/2008/06/another-long-tense-day-2-june.html

All retired staff. Three former pricipals. The eldest of them is the former principal, Prof. P.T. Chellappa, well in his eighties. All these assembled on that morning on being invited just the previous evening. Do they all look to anybody as puppets to be keyed by somebody!! A speical mention should be made of Prof. Solomon Pappiah who has been emotionally involved from day one spending his time and energy whole heartedly for the sake of the college. It is all simply for the love of the college, nothing more nothing less.

Most of the present staff are rallying around Principal. What could be the reason other than being on the side of the college? Can all these people be lured by Principal? What does he have to lure all of them? Of course on bishop's side also there are some staff. Better they are asked why or what made them to be on that side. Let them answer. Let me leave it to their conscience and morals.

It is so sad that the spirit of the students is also debased.One has to be an alumnus of this college to understand its legacy and heritage and also one should have been in this lovely campus to understand and appreciate the love of the students for the college.The student support from May 19th was always instantaneous and never premeditated or planned or instigated.

For those accusing retired and present staff and also the students as being instigated, let me tell one thing. The problem started on May 9th. Till the day the bishoporic entourage broke open the doors of Principal's office and “captured” the college in the presence of a large posse of police force, was not the college running smoothly? In spite of wanton confusing advertisements in dailies the exams were held according to schedule, admissions were carried out smoothly, classes were running like any other day .... But what happened once the b & coterie entered the campus. Even the very first order of the “principal” was Indefinite Closure of the college!!


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