Two Students Planted Explosive Device in front of Bajothang Teacher’s Door

The Kuensel reported that two teenage students of Bajothang planted explosive device in front of the teacher’s door after issuing three warning letters. Looking at the degradation and erosion of values from the mindset of our youth, it is a dreadfully worrying trend. What is more worrying the audacity of class VII students to carry out that lowly adventure? What made them commit such a heinous crime? Are there other reasons than those mentioned in the Kuensel? Is this the effect of modernization?  Is this just a foolishness of misguided youth? Or is the effect of unfiltered modern media especially television and internet?

The value education starts from the home. So could it be the upbringing of the child? At home, if children are brought up in abusive families, they ended up growing up violent. The logic that violence rules the world creeps into children’s mind. There could be also some psychological imbalances in the mind of children which gave the bravery of sort. When police investigates the Bajo case, the investigation cannot be what just happened where when and how. The investigation should be all inclusive. Why it happened? Why? The two children are minors. There should be some justifiable reasons behind these extreme steps. One student was influenced by friend but why did the alleged main culprit took the path not taken?

Could it be the teacher who was responsible for making those students takes such an extreme step?  Generally, dzongkha teachers are more strict in discipline who believe in ‘spare the rod; spoil the child’ stance. Due to their tradition education and weak understanding of international scenario, most Dzongkha teachers goes by the books of traditional discipline. Going by the reportage, the students have issued three warnings in writing which was apparently ignored by the school authority. These also shows lapse on the part of concerned teacher and authority. They took the matter lightly. The culprits should have been searched and counseled.

One of the reasons cited by the student was strictness of teacher who lambasted him in front of whole class. For a young student, it was matter of his dignity being sold out in open by an insensitive teacher. It is also highly probable that the said teacher frequently resorted to over- the-limit verbal abuse as well as corporal punishment. The Vice Principal’s name Lopen Menlam media byte also authenticates my theory that school might be subjecting students to corporal punishment. Lopen Menlam, as I remember, was really a patient teacher while teaching and clarifying the doubts. We would be lucky to have teachers like him in classroom. However, he is a strict disciplinarian. He is stubborn and uncompromising when comes to discipline. If students don’t listen he would bash up students till they bleed. The students often misread his well-intended disciplining as too much interference. Lopen Menlam himself was once a victim of student’s wrath due to strictness. When the Head is a strict disciplinarian, the warden naturally would be acting strict.

Lopen Menalm’s statement, ‘when it comes to putting the system in place, everybody is strict,’ is a cue the teachers are quite high handed. Besides, his statement is ambiguous. By system, does it mean his system of disciplining or education’s system of disciplining?  While it is unfortunate that spoilt students threatened supposedly well-intended teacher, it is also the cue that the school discipline system has to be relooked. Otherwise, the students will go to such an extreme step just to make their illogical points.

It is also interesting that the teacher let the children clean up the crime scene. The police have no clue about the devices used. It only bag two questions that the school was either trying to hush up the matter or school authority is just telling a blatant lie to teach the lesson to disobeying brats. I also doubt that the possession of explosive devices by young boys is quite unlikely. Where the hell did they get explosive device from? If police can’t find and school authority let crime scene to be cleaned up, there is something fishy in that water.