Teachers' plight: Letters to The Editor

Teachers' plight

The provincialized colleges in Assam are nowadays passing through a tough time. The sudden introduction of so-called CBCS semester system in an unplanned basis paralyses the proper functioning of some colleges in Assam, and as a consequence the colossal burden is ultimately borne by the ad-hoc/ non-sanctioned teachers in Assam. The college authorities are banking on these teachers to run the show. These ad-hoc teachers are appointed with a minimal fixed pay. These teachers rendering their yeomen's service for the betterment of colleges. Some of these teachers are doing their job for the last 10-15 years with no hope of getting regularization in their services or elevation in their parks. They do the same service with their counterpart (sanctioned teachers) and stay in colleges for 5 or more hours. Sometimes they are even compelled by the sanctioned teachers to take their classes and all clerical works of the department are done by ad-hoc teachers.

In some colleges in Assam, Some permanent teachers are getting their huge salaries with no subject at all in their capacity to teach. Even some permanent teachers sitting idle in some semester with no subject to teach and getting full salaries with no work. Sometimes they are also not given the examination duty by the college authority. The college authorities are actually exploiting them in the name of their valuable services. Actually college authorities are dormant in this issue. This picture is worse in multi-faculty colleges where three streams, namely, Arts, Science and Commerce exist. The fear of losing their job after the term finishes creates a great trouble for them, No Government, no organization have sympathy for them. They even do not enjoy any type of leave except casual leave. All of a sudden very few colleges in Assam have converted the post of ad-hoc lecturer into guest faculty with no intention to continue their service at all. It has given a tremendous blow to the teachers who are doing their valuable service for the last 15 /16 years with full dedication and determination. It is a fervent appeal to all organizations and higher authorities in education of Assam to peep into the matter seriously and take some bold steps to solve their problems. At least they must be given appointment like Tutor Assistant Professor as other college ad-hoc teachers got recently irrespective of their qualifications. The dooms days are coming for the colleges in Assam if these problems are not solved.

Dr. Raj Kalita,

Golaghat Assam.

Ban on PUBG

The ban on PUBG was long awaited and hence a good decision by Central Government. The eighth most successful mobile game in the world, it had become a morbid obsession with both children and adults. The showcasing of violence and spending money lavishly to be a pro-player has been put to an end by this ban. This might hurt the players but in the long run it is only for their wellbeing.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog, Barpeta

Bhagjan and failure of OIL

A young talented electrical engineer Arnab Kishore Bordoloi of Oil India Limited lost his life while performing duty to kill the fire at OIL's Bhagjan well. The fire could not be controlled for more than 100 days in spite of taking help from experts from Singapore. The loss due to the fire in the well is huge. The local people have lost their crop, plantation and in some cases their residential buildings were also damaged. The biodiversity of the area has been largely damaged.

The operation to extinguish the fire saw many failures including the death of two employees of OIL including injury of the foreign experts by explosion in the well in the process of controlling the fire.

The incident which occurred on 9th September 2020 in which a young engineer had to die due to electrocution is really very tragic. The management of OIL totally failed in extinguishing the fire.

They are also responsible for the loss of three employees of the company. A high-level inquiry by a third party should be made immediately to find out the cause of electrocution of the engineer and the guilty should be punished. We request the Government of India through your esteemed daily to look into the matter at the earliest.

Bikash Barpujari,

Beltola, Guwahati

Society for future generations

Today one thought glimpses in our minds i.e. what kind of a society shall we leave for our descendants? Is it full of fighting and clash, hatred and enmity, violence or loving, cooperation and brotherly feeling world? Obviously we will choose the second one. People have been struggling for happiness, peace and prosperity era after era. The two brothers - success and failure -- walk together clasping at the hands of life. Yet man never gives up his mind desiring to be happy; hoping for a peaceful loving society. He steps on the thorny path of spiritual happiness leaving the materialistic benefits. Because the search for happiness is the pivotal purpose of a man.

Currently the poisonous smoke of communalism has engulfed our society and threatened our age-old unity and fraternity. The seeds of suspicion and disbelief have been sown deceitfully among the people who have been living peacefully hand in hand in a same village or colony. The baby who is born with a heart full of love is taught the venom of hatred as it grows up. But can a prosperous society be built up without love, cooperation and the feeling of brotherhood? The answer is no. Hatred brings destruction and love shows the path of progress. Why don't they sow the seeds of love who cultivate the poisonous crops of hatred?

Today we all are directly or indirectly attached to the politics. We enter in the labyrinth of politics to fulfil our selfish desire. Playing with the filthy mud of politics we forget about our harmonious society. We don't need political deceiver. We need broad-minded leader who can construct a society of equality and brotherhood where our new generation can flourish their intellectual wisdom without any pressure. Human life is full of problems. But problem should not be an obstacle to happiness. To coexist with the problem is life we must not support a chaotic life in order to solve our problems. If we follow rashness in order to solve our problems then our unhappiness will be increasing instead of decreasing and if we do so then there will be a negative impact upon the new generation. To solve the problem we cannot take the path of violence and hatred.

Anger and dissatisfaction never give us happiness, peace and prosperity. The feelings of helpfulness, fraternity and give and take can build a healthy and progressive society. Our society is not still free from superstition and prejudices. It has become a curse to us. Externally we are educated but scientific and logical view cannot occupy our mind. Witch hunting is still a big unsolved problem in our society. Now we the educated people have a moral responsibility and mighty task to wipe out this false notion from the minds of the young generation and make our successors scientific minded and logical. Civilization progresses in the hands of man and man's ego destroys it equally. If man wishes he can build a heaven on this earth. He just needs a positive frame of mind and unselfish attitude. Everyman must be determined to give hatred-free, scientific-minded, loving society to our descendants. If we wish, we can; because "man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished".

Harsha Mohan Sarma,

Chamata, Nalbari