CHURCH PROPERTY FIGHT TURNS VIOLENT IN INDIA

Church property fight turns violent in India: The Church of England Newspaper, July 29, 2011July 29, 2011

Posted by geoconger in Church of England Newspaper, Church of North India,Property Litigation. 

First published in The Church of England Newspaper.

A battle for control over a church school in the Diocese of Lucknow turned violent last week after three bombs were tossed at the front gate of the Girls High School of Allahabad in North India.

The fight has prompted the Bishop in Lucknow, the Rt Rev Morris Dan to seek police protection against supporters of former headmaster CV Innes.

Founded by the East India Company in 1822 to educate British and Anglo-Indian children of the company’s servants, the Boys High School and Colleges (BHS) and Girls High School and Colleges (GHS) in Allahabad were established at their present site in 1861 and run by missionaries of the Church of England.

The dispute arose between the Bishop and the former headmaster after Mr Innes attempted to change the school’s bylaws to remove the Bishop as head of the schools. The dispute was brought to the courts and the Allahabad Supreme Court ruled last month the attempt to oust the Bishop was unlawful and confirmed the Bishop’s nominee, Mr David Luke, as the new headmaster.

On 5 July three bombs were tossed against the wall of the girl’s school, demolishing the gate and front entrance, while police reported that a crowd of approximately 200 people attempted to force their way into the school, allegedly to oust Mr Luke as headmaster.

The Indian Express reported that the situation was defused after senior police and administration officials responded to the riot with armed police.

Speaking to the press after the riot, Bishop Dan charged his predecessor, Bishop AR Stephen with colluding with Mr Innes to take control of the school. While the resort to violence in Allahabad was unusual, disputes over the control and ownership of church schools in India are common, as they provide a sizeable source of income for the Church.

Church schools also are a source of illegal income anti-corruption activists have charged, claiming that bribes are often paid for places in India’s premier private schools — of which the majority are affiliated with the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.

VASCO DA GAMMA'S TOMB, COCHIN

Heaven Came down-Gharana the choir.calicut

Gharana


The Menu : We hope to present a mind boggling variety of sacred group vocal harmonies. Do come for the concert ‘cause we gonna sing for you ‘Traditional four voice hymns’, ‘Negro Spirituals’, ‘Masterwork compositions of Mozart and Handel’, ‘Gospel Bhajan’, ‘Maramon convention songs’, pucca semi-classical devotionals and just for the heck of it, a slice from the evergreen musical, ‘The sound of music’.

The Choir : A lively bunch of 30 odd, high energy performers, who’d luv to move u with their zing n zest! We have as members, ‘doe eyed’ teenagers, ‘no nonsense’ housewives, heads of institutions, Guitar gurus, Planters, Pensioners and professionals from a bewildering variety of fields, which makes ‘Gharana’ a veritable melting pot of creative ideas, cultures, emotions and of course heart stirring devotional music.

The Need : We long to build a warus meaningful relationship with u. We would be deeply touched, if u could support our choral group, Gharana. U could sponsor or co-sponsor our upcoming concert or maybe you would rather make a sincere contribution towards the expenses.

You could, or rather, u should shout out from your rooftops – about our upcoming concert!! But seriously speaking, we want u to bring in ur friends, family and colleagues – using your charisma n social networking skills!

In short, u could be a wonderful brand ambassador, for Gharana!!

If you would love to sing and am mighty thrilled to be a part of the ‘Gharana’ family – please do get in touch with us, we are on the lookout for fresh faces and not to mention refreshing voices!!

Wherever you are, and whatsoever U are doing, kindly spare a bit of your precious time, to pray for us. Also, please do pray for the upcoming ‘Choral Sandhya’ so that, it turns out to be a blessing for one and all!!

We are not by any stretch of imagination, gifted vocalists or professional musicians. We are, simply put, mere instruments in His hands.

You can contact us at

K. Pratap Paul (Choir Director) 9447455909, 0495-2369424

Paul Vijayan (Choir Secretary) 9447379421, 0495-2373630

Samuel Thomas 9349732117, 0495-2383262

Shine Philip

Gharana the choir,

“Gharana”

No. 3/435, Pottangady Raghavan Road,

Opposite Aishwarya Villas,

Nadakkavu P.O., Calicut 673011


Gharana the Choir : Members
Choir Director

K. Pratap Paul
Sopranos

1. Minila Rony
2. Sonia Sam
3. Sofie Lukose
4. Merlin Johnson
5. Joycee Edwin
6. Christina Arnold
7. Babitha
8. Gladys Isaac
9. Christin Kuruvilla
10. Ruthmol
11. Edna Pearson
12. Shelina Arnold

Altos

1. Mini Sam Furtado
2. Miranda Johnson
3. Mini Pratap
4. Sushma
5. Susan Philip
6. Asha Paul
7. Sishira

Tenors

1. Paul Vijayan
2. Samuel Thomas
3. Shine Philip
4. Raju K. R.
5. Suneeth Pulikkal
6. Daniel

Bass

1. Cherian Abraham
2. Binal Sathyadasan
3. Victor
4. George Simon
5. Edwin
6. Stilson Antony
7. Roshan



Gharana the Choir : Instrumentalists

Keyboard : Ashish Raj [for Malayalam, Hindi, English(pop)]

Georgie [for Classics, Do-re-mi]

Manuel Pratap Paul [Hymns]

Tabla : Sudhas

Violins : Shaju

Robert

Rhythm Pad : Shijin Chandran

Bass Guitar : Sanjay

CORRUPTION- ----SPEAKING RECORDS

Save Church of South India >>>>>>>CLICK

THE CASE AGAINST NEW MANAGER WAS DISMISSED

Mr.C.M.BABU,the former Corporate Manager for All CSI schools in Malabar and wayanad filed a suit before the Hon. Ottapalam sub- court against the BISHOP, CSI North kerala Diocese as the first respondent and Rev.Vinod Allen,the newly appointed Corporate Manager as the other respondent.


As everybody know the last executive committee meeting of the CSI North Kerala Diocese held on 20.07.2011 unanimously decided to 'REMOVE'  Mr.Babu and appoint Rev.Allen as the new manager. We understand that there are number of allegations against Mr.Babu, like appointment of his own daughter by denying the claim of others,illegal transfers,illegal appointments,gross negligence in duty,illegal payments to building contractors,operating single signatory bank account(As per CSITA rules operating single signatory account is a criminal offence),maladministration and so on.


The appointment letter for Rev.Vinod Allen was signed and handed over to him by the Bishop.
IN the light of the appointment letter Rev.Allen requested Mr.Babu to come to corporate manager's office on 01.08.2011 to hand over the charges.But unfortunately he didn't turn up.Rev.Allen was compelled to assume charges in the absence of Mr.Babu.He assumed charges in the presence of the former bishop's commissary,many priests,working committee member,number of diocesan council members,office staff,number of church members and the public.            Rev.Allen is functioning full fledged and till today according to our knowledge Mr.Babu has not turned up and handed over records.


He had approached the Hon.High Court of Kerala on 01.08.2011 itself with a complaint against the Bishop that he was removed from the post.But the Hon.High Court dismissed his petition and directed him to approach the concerned civil court.Then a petition No.OS 291/2011 was submitted by him before the Hon.Sub Court of Ottapalam against the 'BISHOP' and the newly appointed Manager The.Rev.Vinod Allen.


This suit was filed to challenge the 'ORDER' passed by the Bishop  who is the Chairman of the Diocese.So the Bishop has to counter the case,defend the arguments by appointing an advocate.That is the process when somebody files cases against the head of the institution.BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT ALSO HAPPENED!!!!!.THE BISHOP NEVER GIVEN A COUNTER AFFIDAVIT IN THIS CASE BUT HELPED THE FORMER MANAGER TO GET AN EX PARTE  INJUNCTION FROM THE COURT.


GOD IS GREAT.ADVOCATE.K.R.GIRI AIYER,the leading advocate of ottapalam courts saved our employees and students of the Corporate Management by interfering in this litigation and helped the newly appointed manager to file the counter affidavit in time without giving room for  ex parte injunction to the former manager.We understand that no instruction was given to the new manager by the Bishop for filing counter affidavit.So it was  the 'NASTY PLAY' of the bishop by not submitting self counter affidavit and also the counter of the new manager.It is crystal clear that The Bishop doesn't like a Management which is 'FREE FROM CORRUPTION,ILLEGALITIES,IRREGULARITIES AND MALADMINISTRATION.IT IS ONE OF HIS DRAMAS TO SABOTAGE THE MANDATE OF THE PEOPLE.


Now,on 27.08.2011 the Hon.Sub Court of Ottapalam 'DISMISSED' the application of Mr.C.M.Babu after hearing both  the sides. As per our constitution the executive committee has full authority to remove a manager when it feels that the continuance of manager is not good for the interest of the schools.


We hatts off and salute- the timely intervention of Advocate.K.R.GIRI AIYER  helped thousands of our students,employees and their families.


csipass workers.

ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING:TEACHERS AS CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

Promoting Activity-based Learning in Tamil Nadu: Teachers as Catalysts of Change

© UNICEF/India/2006

Activity based learning transforming the way children are taught

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, September 1: Each day, Amudha, a teacher at the Corporation Primary School in Chennai’s Thiruvanmiyur area, looks forward to school. ``It’s encouraging to see children asking questions, voice their opinions and enjoy their lessons, something they never did just a couple of years ago. They treat me as their friend and I like it.’’, she says with delight.

Amudha’s optimism isn’t misplaced. When the Corporation of Chennai adopted Activity Based Learning (ABL) on a trial basis in 13 government schools in the city in 2003, it was in effect transforming the way children till then had been taught.

A transforming trip

Amudha was among the first 26 teachers who were selected for training at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh. They learnt the fundamentals of activity based learning from the UNICEF supported project there. [UNICEF supports Chennai Corporation in their schools programme and RISHI Valley Education Resource Centre (RIVER) has been identified and advocated by UNICEF  as a resource agency to promote child-centred and activity-based learning]

Back home in Chennai, they got to work together.  Shanthi, her colleague, remembers the many hours the team spent analyzing the best way to present words and numbers and add colour to lessons with rhymes, song, drama and charts. ``We wanted to help children gain a real education,’’ she says. They created activity-cards, shattering conservative convictions that creating curricula was the exclusive preserve of the highly-learned.

© UNICEF/India/2006

Activity based learning - adding colour to lessons with rhymes, song, drama and charts

The effort paid off. ``Children today are able to understand what they learn. The system allows children to learn at their own pace and hence slow learning does not stop a child from gaining an education.  I feel proud to be part of this system,’’ says Meera, an ABL teacher at the Corporation Middle School in the city’s Purasaiwalkam area.

Earlier, even if a child didn’t do well in class, he or she was promoted to the next grade. That’s why, shockingly, even fifth-graders struggled to read a simple sentence in Tamil, their mother tongue. With ABL, the teachers had an opportunity to change that.

Today, ABL classrooms encourage children to ask many questions and think creatively. Amudha, Shanthi, Sathianathan and Meera say they will give all it takes to help poor children get the education they deserve, to make learning child-friendly and to build confidence in the young minds. 

They are encouraged to see their children motivated to learn well. ``As teachers, we are happy to have a chance to give these children quality education. Even at home I’m thinking of new activities like puzzles and picture stories to present in class. I hope the system will be adopted successfully across Tamil Nadu,’’ says Shanthi.

As the children excitedly took to this new teaching-learning method, the teachers met every Saturday to discuss ways to improve card content, correct symmetry in material presentation and exchange ideas to induce participative learning. In February 2004 the revised cards were out and soon, all 270 government schools in the city were using them.

Many of the children in government-run schools come from marginalized families or are very poor. ``While making the activity cards, I would constantly think about how much these children go through emotionally. I wanted to make their learning as joyful as possible,’’ says Sathianathan, who teaches at the Corporation Primary School in Pulianthope.

Starting this June, the State Government has taken the ABL learning initiative to 4,000 Government-run schools in the state. The way children are learning is changing across the state thanks to the efforts of hundreds of teachers like Shanti and Amudha.

– Sumithra Thangavelu & Thomas George

Congratulations to Elamkulam CSI Christ Church members.

As many of you know for the last seventeen months the Choir, Sunday school, Youth Fellowship and Women’s Fellowship members of the C.S.I.Church were not allowed to participate in any of the activities of the North Kerala Diocese. In spite of the intervention of the Moderator the pastorate committee and diocesan council members were not approved by Bishop Kuruvilla. The district council and diocesan council met recently without representation from the C.S.I.Church, Elamkulam. Bishop Kuruvilla has restrained the retired Bishops and pastors from extending their ministry to Elamkulam church.
The congregation at Elamkulam was silently suffering the torture of the Bishop for no fault of theirs. On one Sunday morning Bishop Kuruvilla broke open the doors of the chapel at the CEZM L.P.School, Tripunithra an outstation of CSI Christ church in the presence of large crowd of locals, who were non-Christians, and the local police. He was accompanied by notorious rowdies of both the sexes, in the diocese. He went back home immensely happy in dividing the congregation and later appointed a gentleman as the vicar of the church. He has never seen any theological college in his life. He belongs to another Christian denomination and hardly wears his cassock outside Kochi Corporation area and never in his native place. The success of attack forced Bishop Kuruvilla to repeat the same show in Elamkulam church on another Sunday accompanied by the spineless Trichur district president etc. The God fearing and innocent congregation at Elamkulam continued their silence and Bishop returned as if he won the battle for ever. But his expectations were short lived and he was forced to come on a third time.
There is limit for patience and finally the sleeping congregation reacted in a very exemplary manner boycotting both the services on the fateful third Sunday. Nowhere in the world, has a Bishop met such a shameful treatment from his followers. Since then Bishop Kuruvilla is trying to close down the church, but so far has not succeeded in his attempts. The fight continues and Bishop revenging mentality is also on increase. Since Bishop does not recognize them, they also react in the same measure in a silent, but dignified manner.
Most painful is the fact that the young ones, who completed the confirmation classes a few months back, could not be confirmed due to the adamant attitude of the Bishop. Out of 38 students who completed the course, five have already left the parish on getting admission to the professional course. The parents of the remaining children also equally agitated over the attitude of the Bishop and they finally decided not to arrange blessing their children by Bishop Kuruvilla as his hands are stained not only in financial matters, but also............The approach of the Bishop towards the newly appointed working committee and other bodies in the diocese has also strengthened their doubt about the eligibility of Bishop to bless their children. With the silent approval of the Synod, the confirmation service was conducted on Sunday the 21st August, 2011 by Ex. Moderator and Bishop K.J.Samuel, Rev.P.J.Jacob, Chairman of the Church and Rev.Thomas John, the officiating pastor took the initiative in conducting the confirmation classes /arrangements on the request of the parents and children. Rev.M.C.Varkey of the East Kerala Diocese was also present in the service apart from the above Achens. The pastorate Committee also supported the wholeheartedly in the issue. It is learnt that the pastorate committee appraised the position to the former Moderator and on verifying the facts; Bishop Samuel came to the conclusion that there is denial of justice to the innocent children of Elamkulam. He was very much pained on hearing over the present state of affairs in the diocese. We, in the Laity association salute the ex- Moderator for his bold decision and solid support to the congregation in the fight against the diocese and corrupt Bishop. God has appointed Kuruvilla as Bishop, but his ego has kept him from obeying the Lord, but Lord carried out the assignment through another Bishop. Praise the Lord.
The entire service extending to three hours was conducted in a touching manner and the message and prayers of Bishop Samuel were also spirit filled. Even the critics and staunch supporters of the Bishop also agreed that such a spirit filled confirmation service was never conducted in the 20 years history of the church. Apart from the church members, the relatives of children, friends and members from other sister churches and CSI churches in the city were also present on the occasion.                                                                              The voice of the congregation has to be heard with all the seriousness it deserves to avoid further damage. The silent congregation of the Christ church Elamkulam deserves our congratulations .This is a warning signal to the diocesan leaders, that if the present attitude continued, matters will go from bad to worse finally leading to the disintegration of the North Kerala Diocese .Pray, let it not happen.