Unsung Immortal Guru

Unsung IMMORTAL Guru  

“They plan during night, teach during day, evaluate in afternoon and report in the evening-they are GURUS”

Word Teacher or master don’t convey any deep meaning but the term “GU-RU” definitely has. GU means darkness and RU means Light. Hence, Guru is an authority which takes us from darkness of ignorance towards knowledge and empowers us with the power of speech and choice. Like a candle teacher melts themselves to illuminate our world. 

25th March, 2020 when Lockdown was announced country was shut and all the operations were suspended. All the governments, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs and corporates were bewildered. By and large every segment of society rejuvenated. The most quick to respond to this situation was TEACHERS. Schools were also closed, but Teaching-Learning continued unabated. Teachers came out of their comfort Zones so that students’ don’t suffer. Even the last teacher on this planet, updated themselves overnight. 

Not having any idea what Virtual teaching is, which tools to be used, how to engage online, unflinchingly, educators took on the road less travelled a tough terrain. 

Relentlessly, they innovated pedagogies, assignments, content, explored every online teaching tool. Teachers learnt profusely despite meagre resources to ensure quality education.

When rest of the world was relaxing, teachers were busy planning and delivering. Now they were more vulnerable as classroom reached home and parents were also in the class. They stretched their limits, extended their working hours despite paucity of resources. No holiday No rest, NO PAY but still the zeal and passion to reach out to the last child was ON. They are true warriors, front line service providers but they are unsung heroes. Their reward was in the form of hatred, criticism and trolling. Rather than patting and endorsing their efforts some stakeholders labelled their earnest efforts as ‘online drama, dhakosla.” 

Even the apex court has not come to the rescue of the teaching community. Recently, they have given a judgement and ordered Centre Govt. to provide full salaries to the health workers.  

How can the bench of juries sitting at the helm of the affairs be ignorant about the plight of the teacher? How can they forget that, there is head heart and sweat of numerous teachers to help them attain this premier position? How can they be indifferent? How can they underestimate the efforts of the teachers when they have their own children taking virtual classes? 

It is surprising for me, these days when we dial a number there is often an announcement “Sanu doctors, safai karmachari, police wale, ehna naal bhed bhav nahinn karna ehna di madad karni hai but what about teachers? Are they not contributing anything?  

It will not be out of the place to say that, our society is at the brink of annihilation, because the society which do not respect the teachers will again become slave. If in any nation, teachers go starving it is the worst situation. 

Jai hind