The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Loyola College to get new block for commerce department

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 04, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Loyola College to get new block for commerce department

Staff Reporter

Dayanidhi Maran, Arcot N. Veerasamy to contribute from constituency funds

SOUVENIR RELEASE: (From left) Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore A. M Chinnappa, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi and Nawab Mohammad Abdul Ali, Prince of Arcot, at the Jesuit jubilee celebration in Chennai on S unday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: State Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy and Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran will contribute Rs.50 lakh from their constituency funds to help build a new block for the commerce department of Loyola College. Mr. Veerasamy made the announcement at the Jesuit Jubilee celebrations held at the college on Sunday.

In a function presided over by the Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore A.M. Chinnappa, Tamil Nadu's political and spiritual leaders felicitated the Jesuits and Loyola College for their contributions to society for over 500 years.

The jubilee celebrations commemorated five historic events: the 450th death anniversary of St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus and better known as the Jesuit order; the 500th birth anniversary of his first two companions, missionary to India St. Francis Xavier and Peter Faber the 400 years of the Madura Mission and the platinum jubilee of the newly renovated Christ the King Church of Loyola College.

In a message read out at the function, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi praised the service rendered by the Society of Jesus to the people of Tamil Nadu and promised that his party and government would always be a bulwark for minorities.

Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi said but for the Jesuits and other Christian missionaries, the deprived sections of Indian society would not have had access to good education. Students from the southern districts of the State, which received maximum benefit from Christian educational institutions, still stand at the top of the rankings today, he said.

The Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali appreciated the role of the Jesuits in promoting religious harmony among the people of Tamil Nadu. Deploring the branding of Islam as a religion of terrorism, he said, "we must learn to live like one family of one God."

N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu , said that the magnificent contribution made by the Christian community, especially the Jesuit order, needed to be highlighted because of the attacks on minorities by communal forces on the national stage in recent years. He said the yardstick for measuring the success of Loyola College would be its accessibility, its decision "to combine the pursuit of excellence... with opening the doors as wide as possible."

MLA Peter Alphonse, Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission chairman Father Vincent Chinnadurai, MIOT Hospital chairman Mohandoss, Tyagi Immanuel Peravai president P. Chandra Bose and Servites Superior General Sister Ladisca Mary were among those who offered their felicitations. Chennai Mayor M. Subramanian also sent his greetings on the occasion.

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