On 5 September across the schools of Jammu and Kashmir, the teacher’s day was celebrated with fan and fare. Thousands of students enrolled in both government as well as private schools witnessed colorful celebrations where students irrespective of their gender danced, sang and spoke along with their teachers to strengthen the bond between the two.
Over the years, the celebration for teacher’s day has been gaining prominence and became a public event but the respect and faith they have been enjoying even before the social media was priceless. Teachers in our society were always considered to be the prominent and well-respected person for profession and guiding the children towards light.
After parents, in our ultra conservative societies, teachers are the only ones who we as a society and responsible parents trust after God. You can’t see parents accompanying their children to school and staying with them unlike at other places where parents hardly trust the people and continue to accompany their children at hospital, marriages and at other social forums.
Even when schools decide for forest camping, trekking and hiking courses where students are supposed to stay many days and nights away from home, it is the trust of teachers that ward off the concerns of parents.
However, unfortunately over the years, this noble and prophetic profession was taken over by some beasts and eroded the trust. Last week a teacher in Baramulla was suspended for indecent chat with female students in a school he was posted to.
After the students who he was sending indecent text raised voices, the whole village protested and sought a punishment against him. Earlier, a principal in Srinagar school was arrested after his conversation with a student went viral. In conversation, he was passing some indecent and vulgar remarks, prompting authorities to detain him and lodge an FIR.
In the Baramulla case, so far only suspension has taken place and no FIR is lodged that warrants an explanation as to why two yardsticks for the same crime.
But as a whole it is sending a warning for a society as how we have collectively failed and let the society run by those who lack ethics and moral values.
The sex tapes, black mailing, extortion, sexting etc which went viral of some self-styled journalists, motivational speakers, social activists and so-called youth leaders are actually promoted by our society irrespective of their capabilities and qualifications.
If we as a society won’t introspect, the monster will wreak havoc to our social and moral values and all we can do is watch untill he knocks every door of ours.
