Sinners at La Martiniere
June 17th 2010 15:29
It takes a crucifixion for humans to realize they are sinners. When Jesus died upon the cross his message spread thoughout the world. Similarly the death of Rovanjit Rawla should not go waste; we should all learn a lesson from his death. Today all of us in La Martiniere College, all Martinians stand before the father of Rovanjit Rawla as sinners for not having spoken out against corporal punishment when we were in school and had the chance to do so. Today all of us are sinners. We have sinned against all those who could not withstand the trauma of corporal punishment.
The steps the HRD Ministry is taking today to constitute an authority to deal with the vice of corporal punishment is something that should have been taken care of much earlier in Independent India. Especially when in the seventies inspired by Coke and Levis used to talk about human rights a concept that comes in direct clash with the basic premise which sanctions corporal punishment in schools. We missed this chance then for human rights for minors were something we could not dream off in India. Teachers like the Maharajas of yore were supposed to be representatives of God and could deal with lesser beings as they pleased. There was no need for any parents association or regulatory authority to regulate their behavior.
Not surprisingly the 1980s and 1990s produced children who threw their parents out of their homes when they needed them most, when they were weak and defenseless and the late 1990s saw a spurt in senior citizens homes.
But enough is enough; the time to end the glorious tradition of sparing the rod and spoiling the child has to end today. We have often asked ourselves what is the symbol of a free man? I would say the symbol of a free man is a man in chains. His body may be enslaved but his mind is free to think which is why most slaves tended to revolt and the slaves of the Roman Empire did so likewise.
The symbol of love for humanity is undoubtedly the crucifixion of Christ. It would be very hard for a non Christian to understand this or why this sacrifice was necessary to open the eyes of the world to basic human laws and values. Unfortunately history has come to repeat itself and once corporal punishment goes the symbol of this struggle to end it will undoubtedly be a crucified child. Our heart goes out to Rovanjit. Let us prove to ourselves that we are Martinians and join hands to rid our two institutions of Lucknow and Kolkata of corporal punishment forever. Hal Hail the name we own.
The steps the HRD Ministry is taking today to constitute an authority to deal with the vice of corporal punishment is something that should have been taken care of much earlier in Independent India. Especially when in the seventies inspired by Coke and Levis used to talk about human rights a concept that comes in direct clash with the basic premise which sanctions corporal punishment in schools. We missed this chance then for human rights for minors were something we could not dream off in India. Teachers like the Maharajas of yore were supposed to be representatives of God and could deal with lesser beings as they pleased. There was no need for any parents association or regulatory authority to regulate their behavior.
But enough is enough; the time to end the glorious tradition of sparing the rod and spoiling the child has to end today. We have often asked ourselves what is the symbol of a free man? I would say the symbol of a free man is a man in chains. His body may be enslaved but his mind is free to think which is why most slaves tended to revolt and the slaves of the Roman Empire did so likewise.
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