Teacher Bashing!

Spanning over the later part of the sixties and earlier part of the seventies in the last century mass copying in examination centers at schools and colleges was rampant.It was Naxal period.Students considered copying as matter of right.Teachers or invigilators tried to oppose copying but the students didn't manhandle teachers in protest.They left exam halls and made others to follow suit.In worst cases they went on the rampage and vented their rage by destroying properties of exam centers.It was sustained and concerted efforts of the teachers that could stop mass copying and brought order in the examination hall in the later part of the seventies. Now after a long time in TMC regime the concept of 'copying as birth right' seems raising its ugly head again.In recent times in many instances teachers have been roughed up by examinees for refraining them from copying.In Itahar wife of a TMC leader Goutam Pal was caught copying in examination hall.As a result outsiders barged into college premises and manhandled the teachers and the lady Principal as well.The principal happens to be the wife of Srikumar Mukherjee, former minister in LF regime.So the incident received a political overtone.The miscreants have beaten some the teachers in such a way that they are now in hospital beds.Naturally teachers are so traumatized they're afraid of attending college and conducting rest of the examinations.What's more, Goutam Pal has filed FIR at local police station against teachers and Principal of the college for harassing his wife in exam hall. Now a days manhandling of teachers is a very common incident and in most cases the assailants are guided by the political leaders of the ruling party.Last year the principal of Raigunj Colllege was openly manhandled by the outsiders in presence of a senior political leader of the locality.What's more, no administrative action was taken against the political leader who monitored the show.Chief minister called it a 'small incident' and assailants 'small boys'.Administration is expected to react in the same way in Itahar incident too. Teacher bashing might spread in other colleges also and in that case dark days of Naxal period would revisit the arena of education in much more virulent form.It's high time the administration could take appropriate action right now to avoid the situation going out of hand.

Twin violations

Violation of rights & Right Body's recommendations: State Human Rights Commission is relentlessly fighting against violation of human rights.In many instances it is taking suo moto cognizance of human rights violation and making recommendation to govt for compensation.Very recently it has asked govt to pay Rs 10 lakhs to the family of SFI activist Sudipta Gupta for his death in police custody.Earlier too Commission has recommended to pay monetary compensation to the victim or to his or her family.But what's most regrettable is in none of the cases govt has complied with the recommendations of the Commission.What govt will do in Sudipta Gupta's case is any body's guess.If the recommendations of the Commission is trampled in most instances, what's the use of keeping it as a show piece?Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee , when in opposition, criticized LF govt for not accepting the advice of HRC and now in power she herself is doing the same with more egoistic attitude. What an irony!

Judges and Talk shows!

Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee has claimed judges are influenced by talk shows in TV channels.Perhaps he's made this remark in view of the fact that most of the judgements in legal battles are going against govt.May be he's irked as govt pleaders are more often than not getting dressing down from the judges in most ignominious way.Senior cops are lambasted in strongest possible language by court for acting in biased and discriminatory manners in many cases. The reactions of the judges are spontaneous in these cases and in no way influenced by talk shows in electronic media.Based on the law of the land judges give judgements after listening to the arguments of both sides.Loss of face suffered by the govt one after another in court of law may be attributed to the ineptitude of the legal experts handling the case on govt side.In reality, if a judge is so credulous as to be influenced by talk shows by TV channels should forfeit the right of continuing as a judge.

HRC Chairperson lambasted govt.

Thanks to Asoke Gangopadhyaya, Chairperson , State Human Rights Commission(HRC), for scathingly criticising the state govt for brazenly maintaining double standard in dealing with criminal offences perpetrated by those belonging to ruling and opposition parties.Police administration is starkly lenient or look the other way when offence is done by any member or supporter of ruling party while this very administration is hyperactive and take immediate action against much lesser mischief done by even a sympathizer of the opposition.Police does not even care to pay respect to court's advice to nab the miscreant of the ruling party.Anubrata Mandal, a leader of TMC at Suri,Birbhum is a glaring instance of police inaction notwithstanding court's instruction to slap him with non-bailable charges for his hate campaign against his opponent in Panchayet polls where he instigated his cadres to set on fire the houses of the opponent and throw bombs at the police vehicles if they interfere in such action.What's more, Chief minster gave a clean chit to Anubrata in this matter in Assembly. However,State Election Commission has not yet called it quits.It's trying hard, perhaps vainly, to get Anubrata arrested. HRC Chairperson Asoke Gangopadhyaya has not only stopped short of crticising govt for this nakedly discriminatory action taken by police administration based on political complexions but called upon people to go on registering protest against such action and burgeoning crimes against women in particular without being cowed by threats held out by govt.He's even referred to courageous movement of the people of Kamduni against such crimes and asked public to follow them.He definitely deserves praise for publicly lashing out at the govt for violation of human rights.What's more,for his candid observation he's to face adverse and insulting remarks from some ministers of Mamata govt' but still he holds on.

Integrity is liability!

Hardly had the ink of Sonia Gandh's letter to the Prime minister Monmohan Singh requesting him to see to the unjustified suspension of IAS officer Durga Sakti Nagpal by UP govt for taking on sand mafia dried when came the news of an IPS officer Pankaj Chowdhary transferred by Congress govt at Rajasthan for reopening the criminal records of a sitting MLA's father.People have vehemently protested against the transfer of an upright and dedicated IPS officer who was trying hard to contain criminal activities.Now Sonia Gandhi seems to have been put on the spot.Would she again ask the Prime minister to look into the episode of transfer of an honest and dedicated SP by her own govt for taking on criminals.?Or would she explain away her non-interference( if she actually does not interfere) in Rajasthan incident arguing that transfer is a routine affair while suspension is distinctly a punishment? Some time ago Mamata Banerjee's govt in West Bengal transferred an IPS officer Ms. Damayanti Sen to a position of lesser consequence after Ms.Sen made a break through in Park Street rape case while Mamata Banerjee had claimed the incident was concocted by media to malign her govt. In fact, faces of all political parties are alike when in power.They behave almost in the same way.An upright and honest officer of independent spirit is more a liability than an asset to the ruling party.What's most unfortunate, the moral values of most of the politicians are relegated to back seat. So Ms. Nagpal of UP , Pankaj Chowdhary of Rajasthan or Ms.Damyanti Sen of Bengal are no exceptions.

Insulted and humiliated!

Notwithstanding scathing criticism from all corners Akilesh Jadav, Chief minister of UP govt ,stays put to his stance that he's done nothing wrong in suspending young IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal.He plays communal card in his defence blaming the officer for demolition of Masjid wall.What seemed to have prodded Akhilesh to suspend Ms.Nagpal was she stood in the way of sand mafia illegally collecting sand.These out laws are so powerful and desperate even after such clamour against their illegal activities they reportedly came again with dumpers to load soil and were chased away by the villagers.What's more, they shot at the villagers and fortunately none of them was injured. Incidentally, an influential neta of Samajwadi Party bragged in a rally he was instrumental in suspending the IAS officer with in 41 mins.However, later he disowned the statement and claimed it was concocted by media. The way honest, sincere and fearless officers are insulted and humiliated instead of being praised and rewarded for their rightly and creditably performed jobs, pampers the miscreants to indulge in illegal activities dauntlessly and nonchalantly.The unholy nexus between the politicians and the mafia is to blame in a big way for the illegal activities being perpetrated around us.