It is not a common occurrence in the country for teachers to leave schools and take to the streets. They are the cornerstones of nation building, preparing future leaders.

But, irony! The current rulers exposed the nakedness of their own governance system to the world by lashing teachers.

The demands raised by the teachers in recent days were not based on personal interest. Be it the voice against the irregularities of the school management committee or the demand for the repeal of the unjust provisions of the Education Act, all of them were in favor of the quality, respect and stability of education. But the government resorted to sticks and tear gas when it had to choose the path of dialogue and address. This move has made the character of the government clear.

Injustice against teachers means breaking the backbone of the nation. Humiliating teachers means darkening the light of the future. But the government was infatuated with its own pride and was unable to listen to the voice of truth and justice.

Now the suppression of teachers has affected the democratic value and recognition. The government, which is said to be elected by the people, is itself using brutal force on the servants of the people. The government should understand that the power of the ruler lies not in the stick, but in the faith of the people. The stick that is used against the teacher today may turn into public anger against the government tomorrow. There is still time to apologize for the atrocities on teachers, address their legitimate demands and learn to value the voice of the people in a democracy. Otherwise, your name will be written in history as a dark chapter of despotism.

This hour is the last warning for the government. Stop dreaming of relying on the people, especially the nation-building class like teachers. Otherwise, it will not take long for the roaring waves of the movement to tear down the walls of the Singha Durbar.

– Santosh Simkhada , Tokyo, Japan