Killing the goose that lays the golden egg : Banning Catholic schools
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 09 2018 -

Amounts to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

Nothing explains this better than the ban or restrictions imposed on Catholic schools by an armed organisation and the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur was bang on target in asserting that far from subjecting Catholic schools to such treatment, the State as a whole should be thankful to these schools for producing the best students in the State.

Why should schools be subjected to such things as bans and restrictions from groups which have sprung under some lofty claims ?

In many ways too, it is the silence of the people which may have emboldened such an armed group to throw their weight around, never mind the impact that it will have on the young students.

In banning Catholic schools, the outfit is ringing out the message that it cares two hoots for the education of the young minds.

It is this mindset and conduct that the people should come out to say a big NO.

It would also be wrong to view and understand Catholic schools through the prism of religion for that would be missing the trees for the woods and it stands that it has been the Catholic schools which have moulded and produced some of the best minds in the State.

The threats to schools can be said to be another reason why so many parents feel compelled to send their children outside the State to pursue their studies and banning Catholic schools amounts to saying that no one cares for the future of the young students.

Is this acceptable ?

The answer should be obvious to all and as ATSUM said, it is perplexing to note the silence maintained by the numerous student organisations in the State.

What is keeping them mum, for remember the children who are affected are students.

Selective silence and selective protest. This is what has been the bane of Manipur for long, too long.

That this is happening when numerous student organisations have taken up the slogan to make education a free zone, is what is unacceptable.

Time for the people to come out and lodge a strong protest for what is happening today is nothing less than playing with the future of the young students.

And when one plays with the future of the young students, then one is literally toying with the future of the people and the land.

It is this bare fact which should register in the minds of all the people of the land.

Today it is about Catholic schools and what happens if such a ban is imposed on all the private schools of the State ?

This is a possibility for it is getting more and more clear that such elements have been emboldened by the silence of the people down the years.

The silence is palpable and all should wake up to the fact that when push comes shoves then it is time to say a big no.

And banning some schools on whatever reason is nothing short of shoves.

At the centre of the issue here is the future of the young students and by extension the future of the land and the people and no one should be allowed to toy around with the future of the land.

Education is the only way forward and it makes absolutely no sense to target the very institution which is there to provide education to the young students.

Let the Government and the people together take the first step.