Endorsed. Sukla Sen, Peace Activist, Mumbai
On 22 June 2014 22:42, Gabriele Dietrich <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Friends, > > I had emailed you about a week ago seeking support on the Issue of closure > of the CSA in Madurai. As not many people were able to write emails to the > concerned authorities, we have now decided to deliver the petition as a > collective call for action, with as many endorsements as possible. Kindly > send your endorsements to David Rajendran (copied on this mail) or simply > 'reply all' on this email with your endorsement. > > Yours in the rising hope, > Gabriele Dietrich. > > > > On Sun, Jun 15, 2014 at 4:37 PM, Gabriele Dietrich < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear Friends, >> >> >> >> Due to arbitrary and unwarranted intervention, the Centre for Social >> Analysis, which i co-founded along with Dr.Bastiaan Wielenga and several >> colleagues in 1985 and where i have worked for more than 30 years, was >> closed down at its rightful place at 37 Janaki Narayanan Street in SS >> Colony, Madurai, on 28th May 2014. Thousands of books, valuable >> documents and research materials were shifted to an inadequate space inside >> the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary (TTS) without proper verification and >> method to preserve order and systematic access. This library has been built >> up painstakingly by outstanding and committed scholars, theologians and >> office staff in over thirty years of dedicated work. It was open to >> researchers from far and wide and for students who used it at BD level, for >> Master degree and Ph.D. under the Senate of Serampore, the coordinating >> academic body for most of the institutions teaching protestant theology. >> >> >> *Background Information:* >> >> >> >> Centre for Social Analysis (CSA) was started in TTS in 1985 after a >> decade of preparatory work by Dr. Bastiaan Wielenga and Dr. Gabriele >> Dietrich under the patronage of then Principal Rev. Dr. Gnana Robinson as >> a resource centre for integrating and promoting this subject in theological >> education by using practical exposures, interaction with social activists >> and connecting different aspects of life like socio-economic, political, >> cultural fields and reflecting on them theologically in dialogue with >> different religions and ideologies. The method was inspired by leading >> lights like M.M. Thomas, Francois Houtart, Sebastian Kappen, S. Jaganathan >> and Krishnammal Jaganathan, Ajit Roy, C.T. Kurien and many others. >> >> >> >> The course Social Analysis (SA) as an integral part of ministerial >> training was approved and accepted by the Synod of the CSI way back in >> 1974/75 after a workshop with Francois Houtart's method organised with the >> help of CISRS and Paul Sironmani of St. Mark's Cathedral. The decision to >> make SA integral to theological education was approved by the Senate of >> Serampore College in the 80s. The need to train teachers equipped with >> skills to teach Social Analysis necessitated the initiation of the branch >> of Social Analysis at M.Th level and later at doctoral level for which the >> Centre for Social Analysis remained as a resource base. The Protestant >> Churches in the Netherlands (Reformed Churches) have provided a long term >> support in terms of finance and patronage. In fact, the curriculum revision >> during 2007/08 put strong emphasis on integrating academic focus with >> practical ministerial orientation. >> >> >> >> Quite distinct from doctrinal, philosophical (hermeneutical) or abstract >> historical critical orientation, the practical analysis has been made >> crucial and integral by the liberation theology. As a theological tradition >> this has become a key component of ecumenical and evangelistic spirit >> getting approval in Catholic (Vatican II), Lutheran (LWF), Reformed (WARC), >> and other Protestant traditions (WCC). This tradition and spirit of >> theology has been sustained by outward orientation of Christians in their >> commitment to secularism as emphasized by eminent theologians such as M.M. >> Thomas, and recently reemphasized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin >> Welby. The Centre which provided resource materials for people's action in >> alternative to problems of poverty, caste oppression, patriarchy, violence, >> ethnic chauvinism, religious fundamentalism, ecological deterioration >> developed as a place not only for theological learning but a location for >> interaction of researchers, teachers, activists and people's movements. It >> kept its work relationship with people's movements and activists and >> facilitated internship and other exposure programmes. Well known >> personalities like Thomas Kocherry, Medha Pathkar, Geetha Ramakrishnan, >> Nandita Haksar, Chhaya Datar, Ilina Sen, Nalini Nayak, Chung Hyun Kyung, >> Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza, Brewster Kneen, Ulrich Duchrow, Ched Myers, >> Asgar Ali Engineer, C.T. Kurien, K.C. Abraham, Swami Agnivesh, Uma >> Chakravarty, Gail Omvedt, Jyoti Sahi have visited and appreciated the >> Centre. >> >> >> >> The Centre for Social Analysis is not only a library housing books but a >> documentation centre which needs constant updating that is required for >> research and people's action. This requires the documentalist to be trained >> in the unique system of classification. The TTS has abruptly relieved the >> documentalist of his work without proper reason and intimation. The CSA is >> at present deprived of its outside location, independent interaction with >> secular centres of research and action and its documentalist. TTS has been >> teaching postgraduate studies in SA to equip teachers and doctoral studies >> on the assumption of this resource base. >> >> >> >> Historically as well as symbolically the location of the Centre for >> Social Analysis is the place where Dalit Liberation Movement and Women's >> Rights Movement in Madurai started their function for some time. The main >> reason for the present action of arbitrary closure is that the staff of the >> CSA stood up against the maladministration and sexual harassment in TTS >> consistently and is now being "taught a lesson" by the Chairman of the TTS >> Governing Council, Dr. Devasahayam, and Principal Dr. Gnanavaram. The >> harassment of people who have raised these issues have been going on for >> last 2 years and a fake enquiry by a retired judge has deteriorated the >> situation and is now used to for suspension and removal of CSA staff >> members. The cases related to the suspension are in court. At present, two >> members are suspended but two more members with doctoral degree are still >> there ready to teach the M.Th courses, yet the M.Th programme is closed. >> >> >> The maladministration in the TTS widely known has now reached its limits! >> The Governing Council is paralysed; the democratic functioning has been >> incapacitated; the institution is bankrupt due to stopping of funds because >> of squandering of resources. >> >> >> *The Appeal:* >> >> >> >> In this context, we request you to lend us your support by writing to the >> Senate of Serampore, the General Secretary of the National Council of >> Churches in India and the Moderator of the Church of South India endorsing >> our demands. You may draft your own letter, including our demands below or >> simply make use of the following model letter (also see attachment) >> >> >> *Model Letter:* >> >> >> >> To >> >> Senate of Serampore: [email protected] >> >> General Secretary, NCCI: [email protected] >> >> Moderator, CSI: [email protected] >> >> >> >> Copy to: >> >> >> >> Bishop, ALC: [email protected] >> >> Secretary, TELC: [email protected] >> >> Chairman TTS: [email protected] >> >> Principal, TTS: [email protected] >> >> CSA: [email protected] >> >> >> >> Dear Sirs, >> >> >> >> I am aware of the struggle against mal-administration, corruption and >> sexual harassment taking place in Tamilnadu Theological Seminary. The staff >> of Center for Social Analysis, supported by major number of faculty and >> administrative staff of TTS, have stood up trying to restore social justice >> and integrity. In retaliation, two of the teaching staff of the Center for >> Social Analysis have been arbitrarily suspended and now the Center for >> Social Analysis has been closed in its rightful place. Books and documents >> have been dumped elsewhere and the Masters degree course has been prevented >> from being taught. >> >> >> >> In this context, we therefore support the following demands: >> >> >> >> · Immediately restore the Centre for Social Analysis in its >> rightful place at 37, Janaki Narayanan Street. >> >> · Remove the ban on post graduate studies in Social Analysis at >> Centre for Social Analysis >> >> · Immediately reconstitute the Internal Complaints Committee in >> Tamilnadu Theological Seminary in accordance with the Vishaka Guidelines >> and the new legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace. >> >> · An independent and legal enquiry into harassment and >> misadministration charges against existing authorities of TTS and take >> appropriate action. >> >> · Immediately ensure the meeting of the Governing Council with >> full participation of the constituent Churches. >> >> · Revoke the suspension of Rev. Adlin Reginabai and Rev Dr. David >> Rajendran who were suspended based on legally invalid enquiry by a Retired >> Judge in blatant contravention to Vishaka Judgment Guidelines on Sexual >> Harassment. >> >> >> >> Primary endorsers of the above demands include the following eminent >> personalities: >> >> Rev.Dr.Kambar Manickam, Rev.Dr.Gnana Robinson, Rev.Dr.Dhyanchand Carr, >> Dr.C.T.Kurien (former Director, MIDS), Dr.K.C.Abraham (former Director, >> SATRI), Dr.Ilina Sen (HoD, Womens Studies, TISS), Gita Ramakrishnan (Trade >> Unionist, Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangh), Medha Patkar (Social Activist, >> Narmada Bachao Andolan and NAPM), Nalini Nayak (SEWA, Trivandrum), Ram >> Puniyani (Center for Study of Society and Secularism), Irfan Engineer >> (Director, Institute of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution), Swami >> Agnivesh (Social Activist), Dr.Uma Chakravarthy (Historian), Adv.Vrinda >> Grover (Human Rights Lawyer), Kamla Bhasin (One Billion Rising), Dr.Chhaya >> Datar (former HoD, Womens Studies, TISS) >> >> >> >> Looking forward to your speedy intervention. >> >> >> Sincerely, >> >> <your name> >> >> <designation> >> >> >> x--x--x--x >> >> >> Please take the trouble to sacrifice the time to send these letters as >> just pressing an 'endorsed' button is not an option. >> >> >> >> Yours in the rising hope, >> >> >> >> Gabriele Dietrich. >> >> >> > -- > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Bharat Chintan" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bharat-chintan. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
