KTWV 08 Issue 26: General approval but...

The Press Conference and the release made by the Officer on Special Duty as Principal of St. Stephen's College, Revd. Valsan Thambu, seems to have got the right amount of spin. There has been general approval that the Dalit Christians will get a larger share of the seats at this prestigious college.

John Dayal sent me numerous pieces of information about the opinions of the Press, including the welcoming opinion of the All India Christian Council.

ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

PRESS STATEMENT
NEW DELHI, 14 JUNE 2007

CHRISTIAN COUNCIL HAILS `HISTORIC' ST STEPHENS QUOTA FOR DALIT
CHRISTIANS; WELCOME NEW CATHOLIC EDUCATION POLICY FOR MARGINALISED

All India Christian Council president Dr Joseph D'souza and Secretary
General Dr John Dayal have welcomed as 'historic' the move by the St
Stephen's College to give preferential admissions to brilliant
students from the Dalit Christian community in the prestigious
institution of higher learning.

St Stephen's College, they noted, has become the first Church-
constituted Institution to take this long-due affirmative action which
will go far in undoing prejudices against Christians from the
erstwhile depressed classes and scheduled castes in north and south
India.

Dr D'souza and Dr Dayal have also welcomed the Education Policy
announced by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India which reaffirms
the commitment of the Church to the education of the marginalised.

"These revolutionary measures will go a long way in the empowerment
of 60 per cent of the Indian Christian community who had fallen out
of the development net of the church and were also ignored by the
State," the Christian Council leaders said.

These steps are also in keeping with the recent recommendations of the
Justice Rangnath Misra National Commission for Religious and
Linguistic Minorities which recently said Dalit Christians [and Dalit
Muslims] must be given scheduled caste status and privileges given to
Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist Dalits. "Religion cannot come in the way of
empowerment and development of a people subjugated for three
millennia," the Council said.

Dalit Christians and Muslims are in the Supreme Court through a PIL
seeking Scheduled caste status denied them by a government order that
communalised affirmative action and reserves it for favoured religion.

The Council called upon both the State and the Church to ensure
quality education through well equipped schools and modern curricula
in districts, towns and Dioceses where Dalit Christians were in
reasonable numbers. This will also be in keeping with the spirit of
the recommendations made for the Muslim community by the Prime
Minster's Special committee on Minorities headed by Justice Rajendra
Sachchar which gave its report some months ago.

Associates of the All India Christian Council already run scores of
high quality English-medium schools in several states in India and are
planning more schools.

"The move by St Stephen's college Officer on Special Duty Rev Valson
Thampu will help remove the impression that the Church runs only elite
schools and colleges for the rich and powerful without concern for the
poor," the Council said.

Dr D'souza and Dr Dayal also challenged statements that the
affirmative action for Dalit Christians will in any way dilute
academic standards for which the historic Institution is noted. St
Stephens' doors are now open to the brilliant students of the Dalit
community who otherwise find such institutions beyond their reach for
various reasons. It will sharpen the competition among the children of
the elite who had so far found it easy to get admission."

It may be recalled that yesterday Rev. Valson Thampu had announced
that 40 per cent of the seats in St Stephen's College will be
reserved for Christian students as against the earlier 32 per cent and
25 per cent of these will be kept aside for Dalit Christians. Ten per
cent of the total 400 seats will now be effectively reserved for Dalit
Christians as per the new reservation formula that will be implemented
from the coming academic session. The college, that has around 400
seats, will also have 15 per cent reservation for the students of
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, disabled and children of defence
personnel killed in war, while five per cent seats will be meant for
the sportspersons.

But John also sent me this:

NEW DELHI: [Agencies]
Despite strong opposition from faculty members, St Stephen's College
will reserve 10% seats for Dalit Christians this year. The cut-off for
students from the category will be 60% - the lowest in the college,
and usually applicable only to Sanskrit - for all courses. There will
also be some financial assistance extended to them.

The 40% quota for Christians - which will include the 10% seats
reserved for Dalit Christians - will now be filled up ''at all costs''
and for that the college is ready to give students from the community
more than the usual 15% relaxation in cut-off. However, to allay fears
of faculty members that the elite institution's academic standards may
be compromised, the college proposes to start a regular ''merit
audit''.

''We will explore all avenues to make the stint of Dalit Christian
students in the college burden-free. But we are yet to decide whether
that should be in the form of scholarships or fee waivers. All
financial assistance will be need-based,'' said the college's
officiating principal, Valson Thampu.

As per the admission policy cleared by the Supreme Council of the
college on Tuesday, 40% seats are to be reserved for Christian
students - and mandatorily filled - out of which 25% will be reserved
for Dalits of the same category, that is, 10% of the total seats.
Forty per cent will be reserved for non-minority groups and 15% for
underprivileged non-minority students, including SCs, STs, OBCs, wards
of war victims and physically challenged students. The remaining 5%
will be reserved for admission through the sports quota.

This year, for the first time, the college will admit at least 40
Dalit Christians out of a total of 400 students to be admitted to
courses at the undergraduate level. Christian students who qualify on
merit will also be counted in the 40% quota.

In 1992, when the college got minority status, it was directed by the
apex court to reserve at least 50% seats for Christians. However, it
has so far been able to admit only 30-32% students from the category,
with 70% seats open to general category students who are admitted
solely on the basis of merit.

The latest proposal will cut general category seats by 30%, leaving
only 196 seats up for grabs.' It is now mandatory for us to fill the
40% seats meant for Christian students. If the quota doesn't get
filled by providing the usual relaxation in the cut-off by 15%, we
will lower the cut-off further,'' said Thampu. The 15% relaxation
given to SC/ST students till last year will continue this year. All
candidates though will need to appear for interviews regardless of
their caste status, Thampu added.

---------------

Stephen's faculty members object increase in quota

Pallavi Singh

New Delhi, June 11 [Times of India]

: THE meeting called to discuss the new admission policy at St
Stephen's College led to no consensus on Monday after its faculty
objected to the proposal to reserve more than 50 per cent seats.
The policy, formulated by Officer on Special Duty Rev. Valson Thampu
who is officiating as St Stephen's principal, proposes to increase the
quota for Christians from 30 to 40 per cent. The policy proposes 10
seats be reserved for 'Dalit Christians'.

With this, the number of seats available to general category students
is set to come down by 40.

The proposal also sets aside 20 per cent seats for 'other categories':
5 per cent for sports quota and 15 per cent for SC/ST, disabled and
children/widows/wives of soldiers killed or disabled. Sources said
faculty members, especially Heads of Department, objected to the idea
of reserving more than half the seats. "We don't want the college to
disturb 50 per cent of seats open to general category students," said
a faculty member who was part of the meeting. "Our argument was that
the college must not take regressive steps that dilute its excellent
academic record."

Objection was also raised on the college prospectus for this year
carrying no mention of the proposed policy for students. "This matter
was raised by a few teachers," said Prof Vinod Chowdhury, media
advisor to the principal. "But they were told that our prospectus
never carried any details on reservations, so why (include them)
now?"

The policy that invited objection from several teachers could not get
a unanimous nod from the 33 teachers present even after Rajshekhar
Rao, legal advisor to the college, discussed with them the probable
legal implications of the policy.

"There was no voting on the policy, nor was any resolution passed,"
Chowdhury said. "After a discussion for about two hours, we found that
though there was no fundamental objection, concerns were expressed
about maintaining academic excellence of the college. The teachers
have been asked to submit their objections, if any, by 1 pm on
Tuesday."

Meanwhile, the college also put up a notice in its staff room, asking
faculty members to not talk to the media. The policy is expected to be
tabled at the college's Supreme Council meeting on Tuesday for final
approval.

Revd. Thambu is a reverend of the Church and a recognised expert in teaching of English.

He is doing what he believes is right.

He carried out this reform from his heart. He did it so that there is no ambiguity in the policy of admissions. He did it so that there is no chance of corrupt practices in the most important area of the life of the College.

One must recall here what John Dayal had written in his earlier submission to me - so far all accusations of corrupt practices in admission had been just accusations without any proof!

In Revd. Thambu's report to me after he talked to our local alumni, he found all round approval for this step.

However, Revd. Thambu did what is typical of the Peter Principle.

Revd. Thambu has to stop being a person just committed to his ideals, however important they are, and become one capable of managing this glorious institution to fall in line with his ideals and values. This transition may take time, but it requires a sincere effort on his part to become "a Manager", first.

Revd. Thambu failed to unanimously carry the most important faction of his team with him. The Faculty seems divided in its acceptance of his approach. This causes friction and back chat, which will fester and affect Management Style. This is least what a new Principal requires as he drives the College to higher levels.

I sincerely pray that the Faculty will fall in line and help Revd. Thambu re-establish our College as the foremost institution in Education in India.

KTWV 08 Issue 25: In the eye of a storm: Social Justice

As I blog this, the Officiating Officer in Charge of St. Stephen's College is in a Press Conference.

Revd. Valson Thambu, referred to as Principal (OSD) has just issued this Press Release, 7000 km away from where I sit:

ST. STEPHEN’S COLLEGE:
A QUEST FOR INSTITUTIONAL RENEWAL

The Revd. Valson Thampu, Principal (OSD)

I. The background

Since taking over the responsibility of administering St. Stephen’s College recently, I have been concerned increasingly by the need to bring the College into harmony with the vision of the founding fathers for the College. It is clear to me that the Cambridge Mission to Delhi, which established the College in 1881, did not want the College to be a ‘brand name’ or to be defined wholly by ‘prestige’.

Authentic Christian education has, throughout history, prioritized social justice and social transformation, brought hope and dignity into the lives of the excluded and the disempowered, equipped the members of the community to serve the nation with devotion and distinction (as the prayer of St. Stephen’s College indicates), and played a catalytic role in promoting national integration. It is obvious, therefore, that a Christian College cannot remain the exclusive preserve of a class or caste, invoking the talisman of ‘academic excellence’. While academic excellence is very important, it is not the sole purpose for which educational institutions are established by the Christian community.

Right up to the forties and fifties of the last century, Principals like Principal S. N. Mukarji, used to visit the villages of the Punjab and adjoining areas to invite young men from rural areas with some potential, bring them to St. Stephen’s College, and educate them. They were urged to go back to their villages and serve as agents of change and hope for others. Somewhere alone the line, St. Stephen’s College lost this soulful emphasis on social justice and social transformation. It needs to be regained.

C. F. Andrews taught in St. Stephen’s College from 1904-1914. He was easily the most distinguished member of the faculty. Yet, the then Principal S. K. Rudra motivated him to join Gandhiji in the Phoenix Settlement in South Africa and strengthen his hands. The College was willing to lose ‘prestige’ for the sake of its wider vision and commitment. This is just one instance of the breadth of vision that underlies the greatness of St. Stephen’s College. The College is duty-bound to remain sensitive and responsive to the unfolding saga of nation building. We note with pride that the Central Government is committed to empowering the SC/ST as well as the economically and socially backward classes of our country. It is a sacred and timely mission which St. Stephen’s College feels urged to endorse and emulate. Even though Article 15(5) exempts all minority educational institutions from the reservation policies of the State, we in St. Stephen’s want to be a part, voluntarily, of this commitment to social justice. St. Stephen’s College cannot, and does not want to, be unmindful of the movement to build the India that Gandhiji dreamt: the “the India of our dreams”.

St. Stephen’s College is a minority educational institution. As a Member of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions and the National Integration Council, I am aware, and deeply concerned, about the abuse of minority rights in various parts of this country. Minority rights are a sacred trust the nation reposes in the minority communities. It has to be exercised with profound respect to the shaping vision of the Indian Constitution and its core ideals of socialism, secularism and democracy as well as fundamental values like equality, justice and human dignity that underlie the Constitution. Minority rights are not meant to create a special class of citizens, but to enable numerically handicapped religious collectivities to preserve their script and religious culture in a way harmonious with the ethos of the Indian Constitution, which dreams of a caste-less and class-less society where all people are free to develop and find fulfillment. St. Stephen’s College cannot afford to be blind to this national goal. We have to contribute out mite to the glorious destiny of India. It is our conviction that practicing social justice and pursuing excellence at the same time is the best we can do in this regard.

Finally, St. Stephen’s College has a duty to develop the members of the Christian community and prepare them to participate in nation-building. An under-developed community cannot be an asset to the nation. A nation is only as developed as its least developed community is. The Christian community in the North is at least as under-developed as the Muslims and Neo-Buddists are, though this is not talked about. As a person aware of the ground realities, I cannot remain deaf and blind to the deprivation and destitution of the people on whose behalf St. Stephen’s College enjoys minority rights. As a rule, the allergy to the poor is the loudest sign of corruption. Jesus came to preach the Good News to the poor; and the Good News to the poor is not instant salvation or a pie-in-the sky-when-you-die. It is empowerment through education. St. Stephen’s College cannot hide itself from this reality and the responsibility born of it.

This is the backdrop against which the review of admission policy has been initiated.

II. The Policy

One of my key goals, during my tryst with this great institution, is to promote a culture of collegiality, transparency and accountability. The enunciation of a democratic and dialogic culture is basic to this goal. Open discussions on policy matters have seldom been a feature of St. Stephen’s College. I am convinced that we need to change in this respect. For that to be possible, every member of St. Stephen’s College needs to adhere to the discipline of healthy debate and dialogue. The clash of partisan interests will strangulate the spirit of democratic culture and debate.

A comprehensive process of intra-institutional discussions was initiated soon after I assumed office on 21 May, 2007. I wish to report with immense satisfaction my colleagues have participated in this process with mature responsibility. Several of them avow that this has been a learning process for them, as indeed it has been for me. Based on, and closely following, the broad consensus that emerged, the Supreme Council of the College, which is the highest policy making body, has enunciated the following policy guidelines to guide admissions 2007-2008.

(a) Admissions from the General Category be 40%
(b) Admissions from the Christian Community: 40%, of which 25% [i.e., 10% of the total seats] to be set apart for Dalit Christians.
(c) Admissions from SC/ST, Physically Challenged candidates and wards of war victims be 15% in all.
(d) Sports 5%

The Dalit status of the applicants to be decided on the basis of the certificates issued by the authorities of the Church.

Providing for a 10% intake without relaxing the cut off will be a mocking illusion for such candidates. In this context, relying on the precedence for admissions to Sanskrit (Hons.), the Supreme Council rules that the cut off for Dalit Christians be on par with the cut-off for Sanskrit (Hons.), candidates.

Christian candidates who qualify on the basis of Sports Quota will not be counted against the 40% seats set apart for candidates from the community, as they are admitted not because they are Christians but because they are sportsmen.

It is clarified that all admissions will be based on inter-se merit, as stipulated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.

I wish to close by thanking the Members of the Supreme Council, especially its Chairman, Rt. Rev. Karam Masih, who is the Bishop in Delhi of the Church of North India, of which St. Stephen’s College is a part. But for their assured support and encouragement this historic exercise would not have been possible within such a short span of time.

“Ad Dei Gloriam”

There has been much discussion in India under the title "Heated Debate" where several issues have been raised. I was fowarded an email which made many accusations. What distressed me about that email was that it was written by an anonymous source.

Any person who cannot put his name to the document he writes does not deserve to be heard.

I remember my grandfather, a humble Christian school teacher who fought for many social issues and social justice, had to spend many years in prison in British India. But the issues he fought for were won. With Indian Independence, the Christian Community in Kerala was raised from being a persecuted minority to the one which led to the State having the highest literacy rate in Free India.

But it was not institutions in Kerala alone that played a role. The Madras Christian College at Tambaram among many others were primary institutions that helped members of the Christian Community rise to the levels that they have reached today.

The family that controls MRF and Malayala Manorama enterprises are equated today of being among the rich Christians.

Nothing could be further from the truth as the philosophy of the late K. C. Mammen MNappilai, the founder of the MM Group, was that the money did not belong to his family, but was something that belonged to the people and the custodians had a responsibility to ensure that it was wisely and justly used to help society.

Many from this family have passed through the sacred halls of St. Stephen's College as this institution taught that secularity was the predominant aspect of life in India.

It is not sufficient to have a reservation policy for admission to the college based of class and caste. What is important, as has been stated by Revd. Thambu, is the importance of Social Justice.

What Revd. Thambu has to acknowledge is that a large proportion of those who have graduated from St. Stephen's College were busy in the professional lives ensuring that the values that they learnt while in College were used in their daily lives. They may not have been involved in helping to administer the College, as that was not their professional skill - that would have been a direct case of the the truth of the Peter Principle.

By all means have an admission policy which gives a chance to the broad cross-section of the disempowered to earn an EDUCATION. The College should not be bogged down with considering aspects of admission, but of ensuring that the students who graduate from the College are Educated.

The alumni have an important part to play in ensuring that the College continues to produce the people who will lead the world. For that to occur, it is not just the students that are admitted that play a role, but an ENLIGHTENED FACULTY.

For the College to be considered a Centre of Excellence, it is the faculty that makes a difference. Without a faculty which teaches the students the meaning of true education, the institution can be considered worthless - immaterial of what admission criteria are accepted.

My sincere advice to Revd. Thambu is to ensure that St. Stephen's College is a Centre of Excellence in Education of ALL Communities, Classes and Castes. The more the better!

Jesus did not only preach to the Jews - he educated the world!

Only then will the word reach through every spectrum of Indian Society. Stephanians will then make their mark in driving India and the world along a path of Social Justice, what appears to be the primary focus of Revd. Thambu.

I pray that the Good Lord will help Revd. Thambu just as HE has guided many of those who have preceded Rev. Thambu in this task.

KTWV 08 Issue 24: Distressing developments

When my cousin and Stephanian, Arun Matthan, forwarded me an email which had been forwarded to him by former vicar at the college, Dan O'Conner, I was greatly distressed by the contents.

I do not know the author of the original email, one D. Dodd. (I am not reproducing this email here as I feel I do not have full knowledge of the accuracy of the contents.)

Also Dan O'Conner was after my time at college and hence have only had a fleeting contact with him, online.

As you will recall there was a flurry of COMMENTS when I had written to wish the new Officiating Vice-Principal Rev. Valson Thambu the best in his new position. I disclaimed all knowledge of what had been happening in our sacred institution. The comment posted by Padma ended that rather sour phase in the life of my online editorialship of the Kooler Talk Blog.

On receiving this forwarded email, rather than rush to do a piece about what was happening in Delhi, I forwarded the same to four senior alumni. One is a leading Christian and minority activist in India, John Dayal, for whom I have a great deal of regard. John has stood up for the rights of all minorities in India against the rabid fundamentalists that want to destroy the fabric of secular India. I also sent the email to our Member of the Rajya Sabha, Rahul Bajaj, who was in college between 1955 and 1957. Rahul has managed his industrial empire with great wisdom and I wanted to see his reaction to this sad development.

I had also sent the email to two former Stephanians, one a retired senior Government Officer and a slightly younger Government Officer who is now a well-known journalist.

I have not yet received a reply from the latter two.

John's reply was a wonderful view of a person deeply concerned with our alma mater. I publish his reply with his express permission.

Dear Jacob

All this makes for sad reading.

As an old friend used to say, everyone is speaking the truth, but no one is speaking the whole truth.

1. No one in Delhi can really accuse Bishop Karam Masih of absolute Christian integrity, that is the truth.

2. He dearly loves his only son, and that too is the truth.

3. Only god knows how those in charge accepted him as a member of the governing body.

4. Branded colleges, such as ours, run the perpetual risk of someone or the other trying to encash the brand equity for his or her own good. At the end of every admission session, disgruntled Christian and non-Christian parents come to me by the dozen, claiming that someone they know got in by making a fat donation or cash transfer to someone or the other. I always tell them to make a similar payment, come to me, identify the person they have paid money to, and I will ensure that the man is sacked, however high a position he has, the child is admitted and guarantees given that he will not be victimised in the three years he or she will be in college.

I must tell you not one parent has bothered to do so. Says something.

5. Regarding merit versus reservations, this is an old debate in India and has no conclusive or universally acceptable argument in favour or against it. Reserving 40 per cent seats for Christians is a legal requirement and in no way dilutes merit. Brilliant boys and girls from the North east and the South will now find a place which was denied to them earlier despite their marks. Dalits too have their brilliant layer. The open seats get trimmed, and that may mean a more honest competition amongst the children of the elite who cannot or do not want a an undergraduate degree from some third rate college in Australia, the UK or the USA.

Let us give it a try, and let us divorce all this from Valson and Karam.

The corrupt will always find a way to make money, if not in admissions, that in purchase of kitchen rations, or the whitewashing of college corridors

It will be good idea for sane alumni to constitute themselves into a watchdog body. We need a good alumni.

By the way, not one non-Christian alumni came to the defence of the Christian community at the height of the persecution or the BJP propaganda that Christian institutions are there as instruments of forcible and fraudulent conversion.

Speaks of some sort of a lack of moral strength and integrity in some of our brothers.

In great sadness

John Dayal

PS: You could paste it on the Blog Kooler Talk if you think appropriate

Rahul was away in St. Petersburg when he received my email. He sent me a very thoughtful reply. However, he had not been in the loop as far as what has been happening in the college. But he made some important observations:

....As you are aware, there are a large number of Stephanians in Delhi, both in business and the government. Though I do not know what is happening, it would appear that the Alumni are not doing anything about whatever may be happening with respect to the management of St. Stephens.

....One also has to get in touch with Delhi University and, perhaps, the Ministry of HRD. To do this all, however, there have to be at least a few Alumni who can spend some time on this matter.

I presume there are at least a few Alumni involved in the Alumni Association who are aware of what is going on. If so, I am not sure why they are not doing anything about it. It is naturally important to ensure that the contents of the note are by and large accurate.

Also, it may not be enough for a few individuals to ask questions as suggested in the note under the RTI Act., etc. This needs to be done in a structured manner by the Alumni Association which can, if necessary, even collect some funds for this purpose to the extent one may need to engage a legal counsel if litigation becomes necessary.

It is my honest opinion that senior and respected members of our Alumni located in Delhi do have a role to play in ensuring that the Institution we all love and cherish in our hearts is not the private playground of anyone who enjoys power or tries to usurp it to change the vision of its great traditions.

The latest news, which reached my INBOX yesterday, that more seats would be reserved for the Schedules Castes and Scheduled Tribes could be interpreted in many ways. I quote a positive report which appeared a couple of days ago in the online edunews.net run by National Network of Education India St. Stephens to make room for SC/ST Quota: June 08, 2007

New Delhi: St. Stephens College of Delhi University (DU) is planning to offer 20% of its total seats to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) students from the forthcoming academic session.

According to the proposal, 40% of the 440-odd seats in 11 courses will be reserved for Christian students, 40% for general category students and the rest i.e. 20% seats for SC and ST students......

What surprises me is that during my days in college there was never that high a ratio of Christians in any course - my class of over 20 students had just 2 Christians (10%), which must have been the approximate percentage of Christians in residence! Of the staff teaching sciences to us we had just 3 Christians in the over 20 staff that were involved with my education. As far as the gyps and serving workers in the college, I think we had no more that a couple of Christians.

But, the feeling that was always prevalent in the college was a Christian philosophy - "Love your neighbour as much as you love yourself" with the second important rider to this that "your neighbour" is anyone who comes within your sphere of existence!

I do hope the local alumni will get involved to driving our college administration within the bounds of the values that all of us imbibed during our period in this hallowed institution.

I am not asking for a series of COMMENTS on this post. This is not a blog meant to have a serious discussion through that instrument. Do feel free to email me your views so that we can avoid washing dirty linen, especially when much of it will be unsubstantiated dirt, in public.

KTWV 08 Issue 23: Dangerous situation of VIOLATION

(Cross-posted on all my MAJOR BLOGS.)

A few weeks ago, I received an email from my good young friend, Soda, that he had TAGGED me and the email had a line implying that if I did not join this TAGGED network, my friendship with him would be in question!

Is Soda your friend?

Please respond or Soda may think you said no :(

When I get emails which border on being emotional blackmailed, I usually investigate a little deeper. When I went through the process of joining the TAGGED network, and it came to a particular stage, whoosh, I closed the link.

The process of registration was asking me to reveal, to TAGGED, my email password.

This is a sure recipe for your entire security on the Internet and your personal computer to be fully compromised. Once you part with your password to such an organisation, the robot can enter your personal email INBOX, your ARCHIVES, your ADDRESS BOOK and data mine all your sensitive information, which could even be your credit card details.

I sent a reply to SODA:

Hi Soda,

Tagged is asking for my Password when filling in details - which I cannot give. Be careful about this site!

Jacob

I few days later I had a similar request from a Cathedralite friend.

I replied him this:

Dear Adil,

Tagged is asking for passwords.

Quite dangerous.

Use LinkedIn, much better. Do you want to be in that Contact Manager?

Regards

Jacob

To which he replied:

I merely answered one tag message, filled a form in and I now see that this thing has gone to my entire address book ! Quite horrified. Any idea how I can undue this Tag business? Sorry, I truly didnt mean to Tag everyone, except the guy who tagged me! Help !!

Adil

He was in panic and I replied to him:

That was why they asked for your email address AND Password.

Dangerous situation.

Don't know how you get out of it except by directly communicating with them.

Stay away from anything that asks for YOUR password to register - you are in for some tough times!

Regards

Jacob

Since then I have had similar request from many friends who had compromised their system. Then came this from the Cathedralite daughter of another Cathedralite friend:

Hi,

Thanks for this mail - its really weird as I didnt tag anyone. Will check my system for a virus.

Thanks for letting me know,

Kind regards,

Dimple

Remember, this is not a virus, but a violation of your secrecy which you permitted by giving your password when you were emotionally blackmailed. Take action NOW before you are compromised on some other front.

My suggestion is that you bombard them with questions and demand restitution for compromising your email secrecy!

These are the CONTACT details for TAGGED:

CONTACT

Email support@tagged.com with site related questions or complications.

Company Information: info@tagged.com
Business Partnerships: business@tagged.com
All Other Inquiries: inquiry@tagged.com

web Address: http://corp.tagged.com/

Tagged Inc
P.O. Box 193152
San Francisco, CA 94119-3152

Do not violate Rule 1 of the Internet- never give YOUR PASSWORD to ANYONE!