Indian Chess Federation splits

Here is how things have developed in the All India Chess Federation:

• A few weeks ago we reported on a restraining order by an Indian High Court preventing the General Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, Ummer Koya (who is also a FIDE Vice President) from acting as Secretary of the AICF. This happened after the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, Maharashtra Chess Association and the Delhi Chess Association sought the relief from the "illegal activities of these two office bearers".

• Now a web site called ChessIndian.com is reporting on new developments. In essence some members of the All India Chess Federation got together to "express full confidence and trust in our duly elected Secretary Mr. P.T. Ummer Koya and Treasurer Mr. Soumen Majumdar in their functioning as the responsible office bearers of the Federation and in their discharging duty as such while holding the said posts." They also condemned the activities of the current acting AICF president N Srinivasan and expressed "deep concern and displeasure in the manner in which Mr. Manuel Aaron, Mr. Bharat Singh Chauhan and Mr. Sanjay Kedge approached the Hon'ble High Court of Madras by stating wrong things before the court and obtained orders which stopped the functioning of the Federation to the determent of the chess players and organizers of the country.
  
  In the circumstances stated above and with the powers conferred on this general body under article 35 of the constitution we hereby pass this motion of no confidence against Mr. N. Srinivasan in continuing as the president of the federation and hence we hereby remove him from the said post with immediate effect. With the consensus of all the members present and voting we hereby elect Mr Adv.S L Harsh (picture) of Rajasthan, Senior Vice President, AICF as the President of the All India Chess Federation to look after the affairs of the federation in the capacity as the president till the disposal of C.S. 52 of 2005 pending before the Madras High Court."

  
  

• The mega web site ChennaiOnline (watch out for pop-ups and pop-unders) describes the events as follows: "The special general body meeting called in the wake of the Madras High Court restraining elected secretary P T Ummer Koya and treasurer Soumen Majumdar from interfering in the day-to-day affairs of AICF witnessed stormy scenes as the supporters of the outgoing office-bearers continuously tried to stall the proceedings. However president N Srinivasan remained firm and ensured that all the issues listed for the day were taken up, AICF sources said after the meeting. Meanwhile, a rival group, apparently supporters of Koya, held a parallel meeting and decided to remove N Srinivasan from the post of President. They 'elected' S L Harsh of Rajasthan, vice-president of AICF, as president to look after the affairs of AICF till disposal of the court proceedings."

Meanwhile we have received a flurry of emails with the following message:

• "I wish to inform you that in the wake of the present developments in the All India Chess Federation, the Commonwealth Chess Championship integrating the International Open scheduled to be held in Bikaner during 27th February to 9th March 2005 has been postponed. The new date will be announced shortly. We also inform you that The Chhattisgarh International Open to be held during 10th March to 20th March in Raipur (India) and The Asian Individual Chess Championship to be held in Cochin India from 21st to 31st March 2005 have also been postponed. The revised scheduled will be intimated in due course. Signed P.K. Bhaskaran, Hon. Secretary, AICF. The same message was also sent to the President of FIDE.

Links

• Indian Chess Federation in turmoil [01.02.2005 ChessBase]
• Chess federation splits [NewKerala 19.02.2005]
• AICF ratifies office-bearers' nomination [ChennaiOnline 19.02.2005]
• Srinivasan expelled, S.L.Harsh acting president [ChessIndian 19.02.2005]