Kepelhoutuo Chusi
Adviser, ANSTA
A Government is normally a government of consent and is popularly installed and inducted with its people’s trust and confidence through a process of voting by the people for the people and to be a government of the people and nothing more to deviate from this fundamental obligation. With this sacred power being delegated and bestowed by the people upon a government, a government is the champion of its people’s welfare and for this it has an awe image before the people. But, Alas! When people’s Rights are denied and when People dues are not paid and given in a Democracy, it is never, never a small failure on the part of that very government. It has no moral or legitimate right to suppress a mob or mass being deprived of its due rights and wages. Since failure of democracy leads to mobocracy, a black cloud is accumulating in size and hovering over the sky of School education as many genuine demands of the employees are not being addressed and attended to in time due to attitude problem of the concerned ministry.
It may be recalled that the primitive society had limited basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, however with the ever-growing society and its population, more and more needs emerged and today ‘s human most basic needs are found to be doubled with the addition of Health, Education and Recreation. These are the most basic needs and areas of life and for which a government should not fail in these basic areas even if it fails its people in many other extravagant activities and functions. However the scenario in our state is just the opposite and the land is declared as the land of festivals. A land without salary… Now, what was said yesterday is a different action today. Perhaps this is the day that a different Lord has made for them.
The rhetoric statements made all these years for the department have no concrete shape so far as the thinking and realization keep on changing and shifting after pledges are aired out on various platforms and in various meetings.
It is a shock to know that the protesters/agitating Teachers are retaliated with water pumping at them instead of giving them their salaries being earned some 5/6 months ago. What conscience does the authority have to resort to such kind of drastic action that too, to the Teachers? It is one of the greatest shameful actions on the part of government to behave that way with its Teachers, the moulders of the society. We have to realize our failures first and act wisely. Whatever excuses that may be stated over and over again on non release of salary is not holding any water as there would be no dearth of fund in the HRD ministry. Whatever failure, is on the part of the state only.
Now, if the concerned department authority dares to go to that extent we dare to ask the government to immediately release the salaries of teachers whether SSA, RMSA or Hindi who are providing the most basic service to the young generation. Many schools and the students are now badly affected of their academic activities for the ongoing agitation of these Teachers. What a shame to talk about quality education when the government is having such an attitude towards its Teachers and employees. It is never a small shame to be ignored even a night for a sensible leader without doing our part.
