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Prof.V.Srinivasan's article published in this blog earlier is interesting and informative. It is good to know how the Principal Savarirayan, stood by the students and refused to allow the police to enter the campus during the Anti-Hindi agitation and in the process, lost the chance of becoming the first vice-chancellor of Madurai University, for which he worked hard. I have heard from my senior colleagues, how, even during the time of the British rule, when the freedom struggle was at its peak, the then American principals stoutly refused permission to the police to enter the campus. In other words, the campus of the American College was considered a sacred one to be used by the students, irrespective of creed,caste, religion etc; for gaining knowledge and wisdom to be used for the society. It cannot be and should not be allowed to be desecrated by outside elements unnecessarily.
When I read the article, I could not help remembering the dark days, not long ago, when the so-called Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese, Christopher Asir, (who does not know the ABC of the American College history and the values it stands for) tried to grab the College and devour it, through lies, treachery and thuggery, with the help of the compliant police, whose presence on the campus was an eye sore for many months.Of course, we were able to defeat his evil designs and rescue it.
Bits of history like this, would go a long way, in inspiring all those attached to the College, to go ahead with renewed enthusiasm and commitment to continue to fight for its noble principles, no matter what the cost is.
D.Samuel Lawrence
11 comments:
Dear Prof. D.S.L.,
Though you wrote the above as a comment on Prof.V.S.'s article, the content of your letter has made me post it as a separate one.
thanks ......... dharumi
Another instance when some one stopprd police entering the campus was by a student known as Kareta Singam (a master of Karate) who tackled the police entering the campus with his karate strokes. This was during Dr. Thangaraj's time. I am sorry I don't remember Singam's real name. I am sure many associated with the College in the age group of 60+ will remember him. VS
Karate Singam (Mr. Aathimoolam) was doing his III year UG zoology at that time when this event happened. I was in the I year UG zoology and it was during 1976.
Peakay
Prof. RAJENDRA PANDIAN writes ...
Well, I would like to know how correct Prof. DSL could be in his claim that we were able to defeat the Bishop’s evil designs and rescue the college. Is the Bishop fully defeated? Is the college truly rescued? If so, to what extent? What has been done to consolidate the victory we scored then?
I see that the miscreants are recovered from the shock and on the offensive again. I don’t ask you, dear Dharumi, to disclose here anything that may be confidential. But I very much want you to know that every one of us is on pins until we know that the safety of the college is restored. It is the most exigent ever with a change of guard around the corner.
And, I also opine and reiterate that the incumbent Principal is inexorably obligated to act in a time bound fashion and do his best—which he is doing, I believe— to tie up loose ends and hand down his office to his successor intact.
Dear Dharumi: I hope this finds a place in the IPAC blog.
Our friend Prof. Rajendra Pandian as a comment on Prof. Lawrence's letter in IPAC blog is correct. He says: "And, I also opine and reiterate that the incumbent Principal is inexorably obligated to act in a time bound fashion and do his best—which he is doing, I believe— to tie up loose ends and hand down his office to his successor intact"
In the present conflict it is very difficult to say who is the sinner and who is not. The present Principal was hand picked by the Bishop and the Bursar was appointed with the due recommendation of the Principal. The conflict (personality conflict) had come in subsequently. There is a judgment but that has addressed one aspect and we cannot be talking about that alone all the time. Let us not forget the gospel wherein you find "He who is not without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her first" (John 8.7). Let us stop blaming each other.
What next? The College seems to be doing everything else - The INO involvement, joining hands with American Consul now with Germans developing national and international images. Are they taking the College any where? Some of us get a feeling that the present College administration doesn't seem to care about many routine administrative functions. To give one good example, the Government of Tamilnadu announced a pay (pension) revision for some of the retired professors of the Colleges based on the revision of UGC scales of pay. Almost all the eligible persons in Government Meenakshi College, Madura College, Sowrashtra College, just name a few, have received the revisited pay with arrears, which is a substantial amount. Does the American College administration know in the case of American College only a handful have received the arrears and many haven't? Who is to be blamed? The Principal? the Bursar? Let us urge them to act for the College and for the welfare of staff and students past & present instead of fighting with one another.
There is a fear (I think a genuine fear) in the minds of some people that people with some vested interests are trying to hijack the College almost as it had happened with Madras Christian College a few years ago. What was a Christian Missionary College founded by missionaries from Scotland is now almost a private College in the hands of a powerful industrialist. I hope The American College remains a missionary College for ever.
Best wishes. Srinivasan
Prof. RAJENDRA PANDIAN writes ...
May be we should thank our friend peakay (Dr.P.Kumarasamy) for this response that helps the viewers grasp a trend.
Prof. D. SAMUEL LAWRENCE writes ...
Dear Dharumi,
I am happy to note that what I wrote as a comment on Prof.V.Srinivasan's letter in the IPAC blog has generated some controversy. Let me make it very clear that when I said that we were able to thwart the evil designs of the Bishop and rescue the College from his hands it was not meant to be taken as a final and decisive victory. I was fully conscious of the fact that the fight with the evil force is far from over and that is the reason for adding the last sentence in my letter. Many vital questions like the successor to the present principal, the way he has to be selected in the absence of a clear-cut verdict in the case related to the composition of the Governing Council, the possible renewed attempts by the unscrupulous Bishop (who, incidentally, doesn't seem to have learnt any lesson from the past and who is bent upon capturing the College somehow or other and bring it under his control) and the way/s in which they have to be faced and overcome and the course of direction the College is likely to take in the event of a stalemate and several others remain unanswered. There is legitimate fear and apprehension in the minds of all those who hold the College dear to their heart about its future and we can no longer refuse to face facts. Time is fast running out. And, it is incumbent on the Principal to see to it that the transition would be smooth and the College placed in safe hands, in tact, as it were.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that after the historic High Court judgment of August 2009, not much has been done to consolidate and strengthen our position. How I wish that I am wrong. But that is the feeling that one is likely to get, judging from the absolute silence surrounding the steps taken in that direction. Everything is shrouded in mystery. And, the stock answer dished out, ever so often, that the lawyers are actively at it and certain moves have to be necessarily kept secret, can no longer satisfy those who are yearning for some concrete and visible manifestations of our firm determination to fight to the end, to keep the College safe and secure from evil elements, once and for all. Failure to do so, is bound to give rise to several fears, founded or unfounded..
One such fear is the one expressed by a very senior retired professor. It would be immature to dismiss it as the ranting of one who has not yet got his revised pension, though he has got every right to claim his due from the College. Nobody needs to teach him a lesson on loyalty to the College, because, as far as I know, he is one who has contributed a great deal, much more than many of us, to the College, and he has stood solidly behind it in its hour of grave crisis, participating in meetings, signing in memorandums, publishing letter after letter in the American College blog on various aspects of the struggle and the way /s in which it has to go forward etc; I am really pained by the insensitive criticism bordering on personal attack.
.............to be continued
Nobody denies the fact that the College has done extremely well in several areas, especially in forging academic relationships and exchange programmes with foreign universities. It has maintained peace on the campus and introduced innovative programmes. But, more important than anything else, at this point of time, is the future leadership of the College, who would preserve and protect it, as it has been all along, right from its inception- a Christian institution with a secular outlook-from any onslaught from any quarters, even from within, and carry forward its noble traditions. But, looking all around, when we see men succumbing to temptations of power and position quickly and easily, without any sense of remorse and when we see principles given up and compromises made just to stay on in power, and when we also see such people basking in the sunshine of flattery and praise by the sycophants surrounding him, one is likely to get frustrated and throw up his arms in despair.
But, that is the time when we need people who could tell the truth as it is and present the facts as they are, without fear or favour. If we are sincere in our loyalty to the American College, we need to do just that, keeping in mind that no individual, however great he might be, is greater than the institution.
D.Samuel Lawrence
dear dr PK
i think you did not get the anxiety behind the words of Prof V.S., whose love for the college is in no way anything lesser than yours.
I apologize. I'm sorry the way I responded to Prof. VS comments. I was a bit rude. I was a bit emotional and rude in my response. His comments, particularly "What next? The College seems to be doing everything else - The INO involvement, joining hands with American Consul now with Germans developing national and international images. Are they taking the College any where?" made me write that way. I withdraw my comments.
Prof. RAJENDRA PANDIAN writes ...
Dr.PK’s act of apologizing is courageous and praiseworthy. No one can forget the same kind of courage—and also the strength—that he evinced during the slogan shouting sessions we had at the Washburn Gateway on those one hundred days under scorching sun. “Peakay” with his thundering voice inspired the demonstrators to stand for hours unmindful of the heat, dust, and noise around. It earned him the sobriquet “கோஷம் குமாரசாமி” (Kumarasamy the Sloganeer). And regarding the particular idea that he has quoted from Dr.VS, it just stands to be viewed in the context of the contingencies we are faced with. As clarified by Prof.DSL it is all a question of more prudent prioritizing and nothing else.
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