Chandigarh: Teachers still hurt, cold to students

Deepshikha Mehta
[ 6 Sep, 2006 0315hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

CHANDIGARH: The war between the students and lecturers at MCMDAV College witnessed a volte-face on Teachers' Day when the students decided to ask their teachers' forgiveness for any hurt caused by the fracas created over use of mobile phones at the campus.

They decided to call it 'apology day' and went prepared with bouquets of flowers, handmade cards and earnest, even if practiced, lines. But for teachers, this injury was certainly, not one written in sand.

They said it was not easy to efface loss of dignity. Yet even while expressing their dissent, the teachers were not less than role models worth emulating.

For they did not come out against the 'gesture' blatantly, rather they decided to dedicate the day to Professor Sabharwal, the professor who was victim of student politics in Ujjain.

"We mourn the loss of dignity traditionally associated with the teaching community," expressed the teachers of MCMDAV in unison.

"Teachers' Day has lost its significance because recent incidents show that the teacher-student relationship has eroded beyond repair. We have witnessed our colleague being subjected to an unfair treatment at the hands of truant students.

Moreover, you can't celebrate apology. It is an act of pardon that has to be solemnly asked for," said Rupinder Chatta, professor at the college.

Sukhpreet Bhatia, a professor of English said that what reassured the staff was that the agitation represented a minute part of college students, "the attendance in the classes was almost 70%.

We know that a majority of students knew that we were in the right. The rest we believe were misled by outside forces."

While the college campus is buzzing with election activity, the group of about 20 students representing the student population of the college were visibly let down by teachers' refusal to accept their apologies.

They nevertheless decided to trudge from one classroom to another to personally offer flowers and cards to each teacher.

"We had planned to perform dances and plays but we realise that the teachers were badly hurt," said Gurleen, Guneeta, Inshika and Bhumika, with bouquets of flowers in their hands.

"It will take a while for the staff to get over the incident. Some still feel extremely soured by what happened but I'm sure they will soon pardon the students," said Puneet Bedi, principal MCMDAV College.

The question all teachers seemed to be asking was if respect for teachers could be sacrificed at the altar of student politics, is celebration of Teachers' Day called for?