Promotions are only serving as balm for our collective pain temporarily, as the University will not be cured unless the University begins transforming into having an adequate number of permanent teachers.
It is indeed very satisfying to witness teachers getting smoothly promoted to stage II and stage III. Promotion to the Associate Professorship has also become a reality. And above all, the mirage of promotion to Professorship in the colleges has actually been realized this time.
The reason however, behind the fact that this era of hope started as late as now despite more than six-year rule of this central government is simply inexplicable. It is even more intriguing that the delay happened despite the fact that the government was committed to all these from its early days. This is something that needs to be analyzed, decoded and reasoned out. Was this inordinate delay due to one single person or the blame needs to be shared equally with the government and other local strategists who failed in making assessment and taking timely remedial actions? The fact that it all started after sidelining one single person, underlines an unpardonable failure of those who had the responsibility to convey and convince the government to do that well in time. For, while teachers are getting promoted retrospectively without the dates of promotions getting adversely impacted, those who were waiting for a chance to become permanent will never be as lucky. The widespread celebration of these much awaited promotions might have boosted an image or two personally but it hardly soothes the pain of more than half of the teachers who have been waiting to get a chance to become permanent. In comparison with those who got promoted from back date, these mortals will not be that lucky. They will remain at a disadvantage even if they are lucky enough to become permanent somehow now.
The public celebration of promotions leaves a bitter taste behind. I do not know if
those who are waiting to become permanent for the last 5-10 years
are feeling as being ridiculed at or if it is enhancing and aggravating their pain and misery, but in both the cases such celebration leaves a long lasting avoidable impression on suffering minds. In view of this, it must be honestly analyzed as to what went wrong during the last six years so that precautions can be taken at this crucial juncture when the University is looking forward to welcoming a fresh regime of five years.
Let us end the nightmare surrounding half of the teachers and create an environment of collective celebration. Celebration must wait.
