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.