MATTER OF CONCERN
It is not a surprising that we live in a democracy that forgives people involved in large scale scams and is unable to arrange for the basic necessities of people who work with dedication to their vocation.
On 31 March 2018, on the day of his retirement Om Prakash Pateriya, Head Master of a primary school in Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh immolated himself in a classroom. As per sources, Mr. Pateriya was not receiving his salary from last six months. It was difficult for him to manage rent, food and other daily needs. When he was in process of retirement, he was denied the “No Dues Certificate” to get his retirement paper get cleared.
On Saturday evening in the school premises smoke was coming out of a classroom and when the authorities instantly rushed to the classroom they discovered that Pateriya had immolated himself .A detailed suicide note was written on the blackboard. His half burnt body was immediately taken to Jhansi Medical College where he succumbed during the course of medication.
In the suicide note, Mr. Pateriya named five persons who were constantly harassing and demanding bribe from him.
There are millions of teachers and other professionals who are constantly working with dedication to cultivate this society, our democracy. After hard labor they are unable to fulfill their essential needs. Time to time marches on streets are held to make their voices heard by the government. We witness how massive scams, robbing others rights and living with comfort without fear is part of the elite culture of the economy. Does the democracy belong to the masses or only to the few elite ones?
