Narendra Modi went to one of India's premier colleges and once again branded a young, questioning generation as "Dimagi Naxals" , this has got to be among the most shameful things a Prime Minister can do ; and ironically on Teacher's Day. Modi could have spoken about why SRCC's own teachers have had to protest over denial of medical and childcare leave, he could have promised SRCC's students better infrastructure that's crumbling, he could have acknowledged the crushing pressure of hyper-competition they face. He could have also spoken about nearly 1 lakh schools shutting down in a decade. About 9 crore young Indians trapped without any jobs, any education and any training. About 73% of school students dropping out before completing higher secondary education. He could even have answered for his own government slashing the education budget by half in the last 12 years. But he chose none of it. Instead, the PM used Teacher's Day to deliver yet another political lecture demonising an entire generation of young Indians for committing one unforgivable act in his eyes: Questioning those in power. A PM should give the young hope and encouragement, not such criminal labels.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
