134. The Precedent?

"Mr. Sekar, After your disgraceful behaviour, we cannot allow you to continue to work in our college. Resigning your job is the only honourable option you have" said Pazhani, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the college.

"To err is human. Please give me another chance" pleaded Sekar.

No way."

"Sir! In the past, you have given a chance to people who have erred, to redeem themselves."

"Whom are you referring to?"

"Mr. Gopal."

"Mr. Gopal?" 

Pazhani smiled and looked at the other two members of the committee - the Principal of the college and the Secretary of the Management Committee.

The other two members smiled back at Pazhani.

It happened five years back. 

Complaints were received from several students against Gopal, a lecturer.

"He doesn't teach well."

"He leaves out several topics. Only after we referred the text-book, we realized that he had not covered some topics in the classroom."

"Some times, he just reads from the book, but doesn't discuss the points read out by him elaborately."

"He starts discussing a topic but gets stuck in the middle. It is not clear whether he has trouble recalling the other points or he is unable to discuss the topic further. He just abandons that topic at that point and proceeds to the next topic."

When complaints on the above lines were received, the Principal summoned Gopal and asked for his response.

Gopal asserted that the complaints were not true.

The Principal directed two senior professors to look into the issue.

The Professors tested Gopal's knowledge of the subject, by asking him questions on the subject he was teaching. Gopal could not answer some of the questions.

They also observed Gopal's class, by sitting in an adjacent classroom, without Gopal's knowledge. They then gave a report that the allegations made by the students in their complaints were true.

The Disciplinary Committee examined Gopal. When they confronted him with the findings of the senior professors, Gopal admitted that he had been having a problem.

Driven by a complacent attitude about his knowledge of the subject, Gopal had been lecturing in his classes without preparing himself, by reading the text-book or other books on his subject. Since he had not been referring to the books for several months, the knowledge he had gained over the years through studies and teaching began to slip away from his memory gradually. He attributed his failure to recall some points some times to a temporary lapse of memory. He became aware of the problem, only when he was examined by the senior professors.

"I had been negligent in preparing myself for classes, due to a misplaced sense of overconfidence about my ability to teach, without refreshing my learning through reading. It was a grave lapse on my part. I will ensure that this won't happen again" pleaded Gopal.

But the Disciplinary Committee was not inclined to allow him to continue to work as a lecturer.

"Sir! Please give me another chance. Please grant me leave of absence for one year, without pay. I will devote this period of one year to update myself on the subject, by reading books and practicing to give lectures on the topics. Let the senior professors examine me again at the end of one year. Take me back, only if they certify that I have thorough knowledge of the subject and that I am competent to teach" appealed Gopal.

The college accepted his request and gave him leave of absence for one year. 

As promised, Gopal equipped himself with thorough knowledge of his subject, during the one year break he was given. The senior professors thoroughly examined him, tested his ability to teach, by asking him to take mock classes and gave a report, certifying his knowledge and competence.

The college took him back as a lecturer.

It was this case that Sekar referred to.

Pazhani laughed out loud and told Sekar, "Mr. Sekar! There is no need for us to be talking to you at length. The nature of your misonduct and the nature of the lapse on the part of Gopal are entirely different. Mr. Gopal allowed his knowledge to dissipate by being complacent and lazy. He regained his knowledge by taking a break for one year and studying the subject thoroughly. You committed an offence by trying to sexually assault a girl studying in your class. The college peon who happened to witness this forcibly removed you from the scene and saved the girl. Since the girl's parents requested us not to bring this matter to the knowledge of the outside world, we refrained from filing a police complaint against you. We want to give you an honourable way out, by accepting your resignation and relieving you. But you are trying to evade punishment by citing a precedent that has no similarity to your misconduct. Are you going to resign, or do you want us to dismiss you? Give us your decision quickly."

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 134 (In Tamil)

maRappinum oththuk koLal Agum pArppAn
piRappu ozhukkam kunRak kedum.

Meaning:

If a Brahmin forgets the Scriptures, he can regain the knowledge by learning. But if a person violates propriety, he will lose his stature.  

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'iraNdu thavaRugaL' by the same author)

Verse 135 (Soon)
Verse 133