The idea that a Prime Minister should address students on Teachers Day seemed a novel one and I was looking forward to it. It was not any Prime Minister, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After having heard his speeches, I was eager to know what he would have to tell the children. His address in Parliament was inspirational and motivating and so was the Independence day address. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, he spoke to the common man. He filled their hearts with pride, he infused in them a renewed vigor. I think he excelled himself while addressing the joint houses of Parliament in Nepal, in terms of motivation and inspiration. That small Himalayan Kingdom must have really felt on top of the world that day.
And so, in that strain, I was looking forward to Modi's speech. Yet I could not understand why students were being addressed on Teacher's Day! Sambit Patra, the BJP spokesperson, explained that just as a mother cannot be seen in isolation without her child, so also the students and teachers form a bond which must be addressed together. I believe that if there were no students, there would be no teachers, but Teachers need validation too!
Today, the prime minister came across as a tired man. He seemed to have nothing new to say. The children were overjoyed, after all when the head of government talks to them, they do feel special. I also felt that he appealed more to the older children. Finally, today's show was, for me, all about Smriti Irani. She had to prove a point. With Nirmala Sitarman at the helm of affairs during the Jan Dhan programme, it was now the turn of the much maligned HRD ministry and minister. Probably, this was one of her ideas, it must have appealed to the Prime Minister. That it has not done anything for the teachers is amply clear. Yes, I was very disappointed.
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