AGITATING FACULTY ALLEGE INVOLVEMENT OF POLICE IN VIOLENCE

R. Prince Jebakumar\ENS\Madurai, March 15

A day afetr the violence rocked American College, the protesting staff alleged involvement of police in the violence in which as many as 30 students who were on a hunger strike seeking classes from both sides, were injured.

Former Principal T Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar said that the police, who had paved way for the violence, should also be held accountable along with those who instigated violence. He named a few, including Barsar (?) Davamani Christopher (the son-in-law of the Bishop Christopher Asir), the CSI Bishop appointee Principal R Mohan, and (the CSI Bishop appointed) vice-principal J Aruldass for unleashing violence on students during their protest inside the campus.

Stones, hockey sticks, stumps and clubs (iron pipes & boulders) were supplied to the mobilised students (& rowdies) in a bid to dampen the protests going on in the campus, Chinnaraj said. "This was a real concerted effort by the police and the Bishop to remove the agitating staff from the scene to maximise the damage to the property and to the students", he charged.

Of late, the campus has become an unsafe place for the students enrolled in the college due to the presence of outsiders. He demanded that the criminals behind the incident be brought to justice and also threatened to go on indefinite (hunger) strike if stringent actions were not taken against those involved in crime.

Later, they tried to stage a protest in front of the college, but wrere restricted by the police which led to wordy altercations. However, a protest was held within the college itself condemning the ruthless attitude of the Bishop and his accomplices.

When contacted, (the illegal occupant, 'acting') principal Mohan said that the students had gone out of control during the break and launched their attack notwithstanding his advice.

On the charge of supplying weapons for violence, he maintained that those were sports kit brought by the students for games. When asked who identified the vehicles of the protesting staff to be damaged since NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE STAFF (VEHICLES) WHO HAD TAKEN SIDES OF THE BISHOP, Mohan said that was the knowledge the students had inherited. "We learnt that the collector has organised for a peace talk on Wednesday. We are open for talks concerning the benefits of the students", he added.

Collector C Kamaraj clarified that he had not formed any peace committee in this regard and has been waiting orders from the High Level Committee constituted by the State Government. He had instructed the police to take stringent actions against those who were behind the violence.