FOUL WEATHER AND TRUE FAITH - Prof. D.S.LAWRENCE

*

                                                  

                                                                                    

 Anyone associated with the American College,  founded by the selfless missionaries through their sweat and sacrifice, with the noble aim of giving education to all, particularly to the poor, irrespective of religion, caste etc; is bound to feel sad at the way it is being battered by none other than a Bishop. For the second time now, his henchmen broke open the lock, forcibly entered the Principal's room and installed  a puppet as the Principal. .Surely, the honour bestowed upon the Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese to be the Chairman of the Governing Council of the American College, done in all good faith, has  turned out to be a curse.. The present Bishop knows that it is an honorary post and  that according to the Constitution of the College, he  doesn't have any other responsibility than presiding over the Governing Council meetings and conducting them..The Constitition is quite clear about it. He also cannot pretend to be  ignorant of the fact that the College, right from the beginning, has been only  a Church-related and not a Church-controlled one. The Trustees of the College also, have, more than once, made this abundantly clear to him.

But unscrupulous as he is, the Bishop, unashamedly wearing a cross- a symbol of sacrifice- round his neck, forgetting all the pledges that he took when consecrated and throwing all the moral principles to the wind, is bent upon  bringing the College under his control, obviously to have a free run in appointment and admission to make as much money as possible.To him, the College is only a property. Nothing more; nothing less. What he is doing now with the Diocesan property and institutions is ample proof for that. Those who work in such institutions, are treated almost as slaves. They are suspended, transferred and even dismissed at his own will and pleasure. Nobody could even disagree with him, let alone question. The less said about the pastors, who are supposed to be his co-workers, the better. They are afraid  of speaking the truth. The irony is that both the Bishop and the pastors profess to serve the God of Truth,Love and Justice. 

Frankly speaking, I find it impossible to understand how the Bishop and the pastors (of course, with some honourable exceptions who prefer to suffer in silence) could stand on the pulpit and preach about Jesus Christ and exhort the congregation to follow the narrow path, which inevitably leads to suffering and sacrifice. There is no relationship whatsoever between what is preached and what is practised. In fact, what is done is exactly the opposite of what Christ has asked us to do. It is a common sight to see Bishops living in posh bungalows, travelling in luxury cars and living in style. They are past masters in telling lies and  selling church properties,

In addition to the above mentioned 'merits', Christopher Asir, the Bishop of Madurai-Ramnad Diocese claims to have extra-ordinary ability to convert civil cases into criminal cases. I have no reason to doubt this, because, with the money power and muscle power he has got, he can easily get this done.He does get things done only this way.  The excessive power that he has arrogated to himself, probably makes him feel that he can do anything he wants without being questioned. He wants to be the 'monarch of all  that he surveys'.

The Bishop's renewed sinister attempt to convert the American College into just a property, only to make money can never be tolerated.. It is a pity that, instead of joining hands and fighting together for the College, some are prepared to betray this glorious temple of learning for 'crumbs of position, power and money.History will not forgive them. They may gloat over their apparent success now. But, it is better that they realised that what they are doing  is blatantly illegal and wrong. Moreover, they are helping an evil force to destroy a great institution.

  

This hallowed campus,sanctified by the sacrificial life of selfless missionaries, noble teachers and dedicated non-teaching staff, has been a source of inspiration to generations of students. It has also been the pride of Madurai.  

But, unfortunately, during this season of Love, Peace and Joy, the Bishop has chosen to launch his attack on the College. May be because of the presence of the pliant police on the campus, thugs roam about freely. In short, this is a tragic situation. This is the time to go forward unitedly, with the single aim of saving the College from the clutches of the Bishop and his henchmen. The God of Truth and Justice will help us achieve that.  

                      'There is no cause for despondency for one who has faith and resolution'

                      'It is a poor faith that needs fair weather for standing firm.
                      That alone is true faith that stands the foulest weather' -     Mahatma Gandhi


*