Kochi: A section of the academic community has opposed the decision of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues to take classes for schoolkids on September 5 to mark the Teacher's Day. In an open letter to the CM, Dr K.T. Rammohan, former dean of School of Social Sciences at Mahatma Gandhi University, asked Mr Vijayan to desist from the move as it amounts to "encroachment of the academic space." A Prime Minister or CM addressing a function in an educational institution on the invitation of its authorities is quite understandable.
But no PM or CM can suo-motto declare they will take a class in a particular institution, Dr Rammohan pointed out. "Such an approach is pure encroachment," he said. The issue he raised has already received broad support on the social media with many from the academic community backing him. Dr Sreekumar, an assistant professor at Dravidian University, in a Facebook post, said the decision was borne out of the thinking that "teaching is something that can be done by anybody".
"As I understand, you have unilaterally declared, that is, without consulting or seeking the permission of the heads, teachers, students and parents of the schools, that you and your cabinet colleagues would take classes in schools across the state on Teachers' Day, Sept 5", the letter said. Dr Rammohan also raised the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi opting to take classes in schools. "If PM Modi also announces that he would take classes in Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas in Kerala can you prevent it".
"When would you comrades, sanghis and office seekers of varied hues recognise the existence of political but non-partisan students and teachers of Kerala," he asks. "Of course, you and your colleagues as also PM Modi are eminently qualified to teach but kindly leave academic space to academics." His letter concludes by asking: "As a teacher through three decades in varied academic institutions within and outside India, I wish to request you to kindly retreat from this fascist encroachment of school space, unheard of anywhere else."
