A
Dirty Road to DAV Principalship
(Published
in The Tribune, November 10, 1997)
I have been a student of the college when its
glory was at its zenith. Later I joined the college as a lecturer. The things
have changed. Many teachers were the same but they no longer commanded same
respect as in my days. The Principal had changed. He too had lost the aura of
awe and wonder that had always been there in my time in the minds of students.
The management bosses had no longer the halo of austerity. They were generally
accused of commercialisation of education and amassing wealth.
The issues involved are simple enough. No one
in the college administration or in the teaching faculty can claim to be so
dumb as not to know the real issues. But who will bell the cat? That is the real
question.
My heart is indeed sad today. The glorious
future of the college I owe so much is at stake. I hate to read in newspapers
about the games the management is playing or the strike by teachers in response
to the authoritarianism shown by the management in the appointment of the new
Principal. Earlier when I had expressed my views against the practice of mass
tuition, some of those involved in the controversy had objected violently. I
hadn't even mentioned the name of the college but the teachers' union had threatened
me with expulsion. Today no one seems concerned about the good name of the
college.
The management wants its man to take over so
that it can have total control over all funds of the college. So brutal has it
been in pursuing this goal that it did not hesitate for a minute to appoint its
man as the Principal even when the DPI (C) had yet to verify the members of the
governing body of the college according to the statutes of the university calendar.
The teachers naturally want to escape from the
authoritarian rule and moreover they want their own man to be the Principal. I
learn that 16 of my colleagues are in the fray for the post. Not that there is
any thing wrong to be an aspirant for the Principal. But most candidates, from
within or without, want a backdoor entry. No one is concerned remotely about
merit selection perhaps because every one understands that these are the things
of the past. In these days all that matters is the political pulls and
pressures.
The private educational managements have
played a vital role in educating millions of Indians in the pre-independence and
post-independence era. The Principals of many schools and colleges in
India are household names and they are remembered for their missionary zeal and
dedication to the cause of social uplift through education. So many have been
the teachers in these educational institutions who too are legendary figures in
the field of education. Even today their students quote their authority in
their specific fields of teaching. Sadly, all such managers, principals, and
teachers are becoming extinct.
In this age what really matter to the common
man are position, wealth and power. The goal of principalship satisfies many of
these criteria. No wonder so many are in the fray. One wonders if the job
involved some degree of sacrifice how many would still volunteer to be in the
queue.
I wish the managers, principals and teachers
would concentrate on the education of children under their charge and not
indulge in such controversies. Let the interview for the post of Principal be
held soon and let it be fair and square. The new incumbent thus selected be
welcomed by all. And let every one—students, teachers, the principal and
managers—work together to restore the lost glory of this mighty educational
institution in the region. Let the agitation bring the good fortune and thus
prove a blessing in disguise!
©Anil
Sarwal