JEDDAH, 1 April 2004 — A fractious squabble that ended only when police intervened marked the handover of the directorship of the Indian International School-Jeddah (IISJ) yesterday.
After daylong wrangling, IISJ Director Brig. Iqbal Siddiqui agreed to hand over charge to acting Principal E.K. Shafi.
The school’s five-member management committee, with Dr. Yousuf Khan Jaweed as chairman, was divided on the issue of the director giving up charge at the expiry of his contract yesterday.
Three of the members — Dr. Jaweed, Ali Sumesh and Dr. Muhammad Mohsin — urged the director to sign the papers leading to the handover of charge to Shafi. Two other members of the committee — Sharief Kunju and M. Shanmugham — reportedly emerged on the scene at this point. According to an eyewitness, Shanmugham snatched all official papers from the chairman’s hands and tore them up.
Anticipating trouble, the chairman contacted Hifzur Rahman of the Consulate General of India, who is the official observer of the school.
Eyewitnesses said that the director had refused to hand over charge as he claimed that the official relieving order of the Ministry of Education in Arabic was wrongly translated into English to suit the committee’s interests. But this was not correct, according to a committee member.
A letter in English dated March 31 from the chairman was given to him, referring to the director’s various communications regarding the issue of completion of his contractual service with the school as of the day. A communication from the Ministry of Education was enclosed approving that he be relieved from the services of the school on the day.
“As directed by the MOE, you stand relieved today (31.3.2004),” said the letter directing him to hand over charge to Shafi in his additional capacity as acting director. Copies of the letter were marked for MOE’s Foreign Education Director Yusuf ibn Ali Malebary, Consul Hifzur Rahman and management committee members.
The accompanying letter from the MOE’s General Administration for Education, Makkah Region was an English translation of the original Arabic letter. The letter bore the name of Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Huaimil, director general of education, Makkah Region. It was addressed to the chairman and referred to the management committee decision about the appointment of Shafi as acting director in place of the director.
The letter made a reference to the committee’s contention that the director had reached the age of retirement and his employment contract was expiring on the day (March 31, 2004).
Eyewitnesses said police appeared on the scene in response to phone calls made by members of the community and took away the chairman and other committee members to the police station for questioning.
In the meantime, it emerged that the director had shut himself in his room refusing to come out. Subsequently, police persuaded him to come out and he was taken to the police station where he was asked to hand in his papers.
The Higher Board made a decision three months ago about the director ending his term on March 31, 2004. Twenty days ago, the committee met and communicated to the director its decision for him to quit.
The MOE agreed with the committee’s decision and put it in writing about the end of Brig. Siddiqui’s service. “We hereby inform you about our approval of the appointment of E.K. Shafi as the new acting director of the school in accordance with the rules and regulations applied for the selection of the directors of the schools,” said the ministry’s letter addressed to the committee chairman.
“All things could have ended smoothly, but a couple of members of the committee on the director’s side tried to stall the handover,” a community member said. “This way, the credibility is gone and the whole community has been brought to disrepute,” he added.
The director attended a farewell reception held in his honor by Alfa Cargo at Al-Salam Holiday Inn Hotel a week ago. He made a speech indicating he was leaving after his term of office.
On Tuesday, the director reportedly informed the committee that he was not quitting as he had not received a letter from the MOE.
Late last night, all the parties involved returned to the school from the police station for the handing over process.
