Khajoori Khas???---Distorted Values & Shameless Governance

The tragic incident, which took place on Thursday in a Delhi government school at Kahjoori Khas, reflects a deep-rooted malaise in our social–political fabric. Laying down priorities in development and administration work is so much distorted by the market-driven decision-making that the basic functions of governance like law and order, education and health are nowhere on the radar of our socio-economic administrative set up and political leadership. Such terrible incidents keep on occurring every year, leading to some momentary hullabaloo in media, an inquiry committee and large-hearted announcements of monetary compensations by our politicians. After some time, the whole system and society returns to its cozy corner and wakes up from its slumber only when another incident happens again somewhere else. When it comes to erecting large monuments, parks, statues, posh housing colonies and expressways, it’s accomplished in mission mode within target time but providing basic amenities to schools and hospitals seems a huge task for them, not yet accomplished even after so many years of our Independence.Kumbakonam, Dabwali and khajoori khas keeps on happening year after year putting a question mark on our whole social, economic, administrative and political set up.

In my view, such incidents are always a result of cumulative acts of commissions and omissions. Khajoori khas episode can be attributed to many such factors. First and foremost, it was as a result of casual, irresponsible and lackadaisical approach of School administration in handling a situation which they aggravated themselves by ordering movement of such a huge number of students at the same time through narrow stairs and no body was there to monitor and control them. There seems to be complete lack of order, system and discipline in the school.

Second reason is the arrogant and animal-like behavior shown by the male students, which spurred the stampede. The values and morals, which our family and social milieu is inculcating in them, are pushing kids towards such despicable acts. From dawn to dusk, sensually titillating ads ,images and programs in audio-visual and print media and on roadside banners and posters are negating their reasoning faculties pushing them to the edge leading to such behaviour.We all are responsible for promoting and allowing such milieu to pervade their mental space.

Third reason is the total apathy demonstrated by our government and its machinery in making efforts to improve the basic environment and infrastructure of schools and other such institutions. Our social watchdogs and NGOs have also failed miserably here.Even Public and Private schools are not doing better on this front. Recent death of a student with asthma in a well-known public school of our national capital is a glaring example.

And another factor is the galloping economic pressure on nuclear families leading to a situation where both parents are busy in their jobs most of the time, leaving the kids to vagaries of social ills and distorted imageries during their growth and development phase, leading to a confused and arrogant adolescence।
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