Kishtwar incident of alleged sexual assault and death of a fourteen year old girl student has not only sent shivers down our spines, but has put teaching fraternity in the line of fire. People are chocked in shock and disbelief. We, as a nation are bereaved beyond limits.
The incident is not just an alleged rape, but the breach of trust, betrayal of dignity and murder of faith. It has shaken the foundations of our collective value system. Our heads are down with absolute obloquy. An act of violence bleeds the body, but an act of deception tears the heart, maligns the delicate relationships, and stains the fabric of trust.
The culprit has backstabbed all the fathers of girls who trust teachers blindly and absolutely. Parents send their beloved daughters to those they believe to be their second guardians, without a second thought. But, alas ! The trustees have turned treacherous. Beast in them has grown corpulent, and consequently, they are envenoming innocents.
This is the sad state of affairs. Our saviours have turned into saboteurs, our torch-bearers have ditched us into deeper gloom, our awakeners have lulled us into hypnosis, our emancipators have enslaved us, and our benefators have become our assassins. If a custodian sets a house on ablaze, then who should be held responsible for ransacking it.
A line from a famous urdu couplet describes the situation in the best way. ” Iss Ghar Ko Aag Lagee Ghar Kay Chirag Say ” ( This house is set on fire by the vary lamp of this home ). Same is the case with us. A traitor within the house has ruined it. And the entire lot is hanging its heads down in shame.
Teachers, from the inception of this creation, are held in high esteem, and are considered to be the heirs of prophets, are revered for the services they render to humanity. They are entrusted with the noblest of noble. But, the very spirit of the mission is dwindling and weakening in the glare of glint of materialism.
The prophetic mission has turned into a commercial venture. Money has become the soul of the profession, bucks have become the yardstick to guage the success of a teacher. Here, I am reminded of a great and illustrious teacher — Saleh Bin Kaisan RA who shaped the careers of great caliphs like Umar Bin Abdul Aziz RA who pioneered the ideals of wisdom, justice, equality, peace, tolerance, honesty, compassion and freedom.
Once, during his childhood days, when young Umar Bin Abdul Aziz RA, was growing under the supervision of Saleh Bin Kaisan RA, he once missed first Rakat of Asr prayer from the congregation which was being led by his teacher – Saleh Bin kaisan RA.
After the completion of the prayer, Saleh bin Kaisan RA summoned young Umar and said gently, ” Why did you miss the first Rakat of the Jammat? ” Umar replied with innocence and complacency, ” My mentor, I was busy combing my hair. ” Saleh Bin kaisan RA was taken aback by Umar’s response, worried that his prized student might be neglecting his priorities. He promptly penned a letter to Umar’s father who was away in Egypt, tending his trade.
Saleh shared his concerns about Umar’s upbringing and education. The letter conveyed the anxious thoughts of a true mentor, “My dear brother in Islam, I am worried that if such simple priorities are not clear to Umar, his future might be at stake.” Umar’s father was deeply worried and upset, realised his son needed guidance. Taking swift action, Umar’s father dispatched a rider from Egypt to Medinah, to fetch his young son from the esteemed teacher’s care. The rider whisked Umar away to a barber where his hair was trimmed short, symbolizing a fresh start for his academic career. A message from Umar’s father winged its way to Saleh Bin kaisan RA : ” The obstacle to my child’s education has been removed ; now, focus on nurturing his soul. ”
We are heirs to this precious legacy, a sacred heritage bequeathed by our ancestors. Their guiding principles should have been the very ideals and compass of our mission. Yet, tragically, we have derailed from that cherished path of values. How glorious was our past ! Yet we have blemished its splendor with the stains of greed and beastly instincts. An act of cowardice by a teacher, and that too against his own student, is utterly unbelievable, unacceptable and unforgivable. A teacher’s morals and work ethics must stand at the highest pedestal. Sadly, wolves disguised as sheep have crept into this noble calling, relentlessly tarnishing the sanctity of teachers. An exemplary punishment to the culprit will not compensate the pain inflicted upon the victim and her parents, but will serve as a deterent to those who lose their human essence to beastly acts.
Author is a Teacher and a Columnist from District Bandipora. He can be reached at mushtaqhurra143@gmail.com
