#dnaEdit: A Whose day is it?

Stunned by the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last-minute decision to address schoolchildren on Teachers’ Day on September 5, the Human Resource Development Ministry has taken a step back to assure the nation that it isn’t mandatory for schools to tune into Modi’s one hour forty five minutes speech. From the look of it, it appears that neither Smriti Irani nor the PMO had any inkling that such a seemingly innocuous decision could create a raging storm.

Apparently, the PM’s decision to engage with children on a special occasion is nothing to be frowned upon. Such a gesture could have the potential to inspire and shape lakhs of young minds and involve them early on in the process of nation-building. But Modi is no ordinary figure. The larger-than-life persona of the PM, assiduously sculpted by the man himself and his elaborate PR machinery, has set into motion the making of a different template of governance — one that has also triggered anxieties that the Prime Minister could be using the Teachers’ Day to reinforce his own image, and further build upon what is now increasingly looking like a personality cult. 

Such paranoia is hard to dismiss, given that on Monday it was widely perceived that schools have been ordered to make arrangements to make the event a grand success. It has been alleged that in some states notices had been circulated in schools, asking for a detailed report on student attendance on that day, and to ensure the availability of TVs and radios.

For most schools, making arrangements for the PM’s speech would have been a logistical nightmare. It would have called for more than just a rejigging of the day’s schedule.

Teachers’ Day is a joyous occasion when both teachers and students take a break from the normal routine to engage outside classrooms, at a more personal level. The cultural activities lined up by children are a token of their love and appreciation. Most of these would have had to be cancelled if the PM and HRD ministry had insisted on the address. It would have also meant another long day at school, staying back till 4.45pm.

Regional factors also have come into play in adding to the controversy. For instance, in Kerala, September 5 is the day when schools shut after noon for a week-long break for Onam. In certain areas in the Northeast, where days are short and the sun sets around 4pm, Modi’s speech would have made students stay back in school beyond dusk, putting a question mark on their safety.

In fact, West Bengal’s education minister Partha Chatterjee summed up the general sentiment of most teachers well when he said, “One fine morning you send an order and tell us to carry it out in three days’ time. It is not done.” However, most educational institutions are too scared to voice their feelings for obvious reasons.

Further contributing to the spiral of anxieties is the apparent attempt to rename Teachers’ Day — the birth anniversary of the former President of India Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan — as Guru Utsav. The pronounced Sanskrit slant in the nomenclature has been criticised as yet another controversial move to saffronise education. The HRD minister however was quick to clarify that Guru Utsav was merely the topic for an essay writing competition.

All of these do not augur well for the new government, especially Modi, who has just completed 100 days in office to mixed reviews. The Prime Minister should tread carefully and must not give the impression that his government is forcing needless changes often executed through fiats. And that the driver behind these changes is building an undemocratic personality cult.