MINISTER PROMISES TO END CRISIS IN
130-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE
DECCAN CHRONICLE | THURSDAY | 30-06-2011 | COIMBATORE EDITION | PAGE 2 | BY MEYYAMMAI
“We have analysed all problems in the college in detail. We have a list of students who have not attended the exams and are badly affected and teachers are not paid salaries. A report is on Chief Minister’s table. All issues will be settled within a few days,” - Dr.P.Palaniappan, Higher Education Minister
The AIADMK government is likely to come up with an amicable solution to end the administrative crisis plaguing the American College.
Highly placed sources in the department of Higher Education said the government might in all probability appoint an administrator on its behalf to manage the affairs of the college and ensure its smooth functioning.
"The students are affected and the teachers are not paid salaries for the last seven months. By appointing an administrator, the issue can be settled. Hence, the government is thinking of a decision on these lines and also carefully considering the views of both the groups so that its decision is not challenged legally," said an official source.
Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha has been seized of the American College issue. “A decision convincing to both the warring factions will be announced by Madam in a couple of days,” higher education minister Mr. P.Palaniappan told Deccan Chronicle.
He said the supporters of the Bishop, the striking staff and studetns’ representatives have met him (separately) and represented their cases.
“We have analysed all problems in the college in detail. We have a list of students who have not attended the exams and are badly affected and teachers are not paid salaries. A report is on Chief Minister’s table. All issues will be settled within a few days,” the minister said.
On the action taken by the high level committee constituted by the previous DMK regime to solve the crisis, the minister said, “The DMK government had been sitting on the issue and buying time. Except that it conducted a meeting once, the committee did not act. It has not even submitted a report. Now we are taking steps swiftly to find a solution in the interest of the teachers and the students.”
Founded by the American Missioneries, the institution with a rich history of 130 years, has been entangled in a dispute for the last over two years ever since CSI Bishop Christopher Asir, who is also the president of the college’s governing council, tried to have an upper hand in the day-to-day affairs of the college over the then Principal and Secretary Dr. T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar.
[Bishop as the president of the governing council has NO EXECUTIVE POWERS. He wanted to bring the college under the regime of CSI to facilitate his son-in-law become the principal of the college and thus take possession of the college properties. The Bishop made his first attempt of taking-over the college on 28th August 2008. Subsequently it failed, thanks to the High Court’s order. He made his second attempt to take over the college on 10th December 2010. Since then the college is under turmoil.]
With teachers and students resisting Bishop’s “illegal takeover” stating that the college had never had a history of being controlled by church in the past [since its establishment in 1881, the college is church independent] and the Bishop is NOT the appointing authority, the crisis intensified. Campus violence rocked the institution twice.
[In both of these campus violences that erupted after bishop's men took over the college, they employed rowdies and instigated violence against the fighting faculty, non-teaching staff and students. The first episode of violence happened on 13th October 2008 and the second one on 14th March 2011. For details visit: http://saveamericancollege.blogspot.com/2008/10/on-13th-oct.html and
[In both of these campus violences that erupted after bishop's men took over the college, they employed rowdies and instigated violence against the fighting faculty, non-teaching staff and students. The first episode of violence happened on 13th October 2008 and the second one on 14th March 2011. For details visit: http://saveamericancollege.blogspot.com/2008/10/on-13th-oct.html and
However, the Bishop armed with an inter-departmental communication of the directorate of collegiate education installed his supporter R.Mohan as the principal and took over the college with the help of the police, a fortnight after Dr. T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar’s retirement on November 27 last year (2010) though the latter had handed over charges to the then vice-principal Dr.P.R.Anbudurai.
Since then, the college is being run by parallel administrations with two principals.
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