A young teacher celebrating monsoon euphoria in the rain with a famous band song of the 80s: ‘Sraboner megh gulo’ playing in the background, is in the eye of the storm.
Reportedly, the teacher in question, also a headmaster of a school in Sylhet, posted the video which then received flak from different quarters.
Some detractors even termed her action a violation of decorum meant for government employees.
After seeing the news and then the video, only one word came to mind: preposterous!
This incident plus the negative reactions which followed, expose the insular notions which continue to vitiate several segments of society.
The first flawed message we get from the outrage is that a government official is not allowed to let the hair down, relax or indulge in some untarnished joy.
Is there a rule which states that once a person enters service his/her entire life is dictated by service rules?
Honestly speaking, is there any rule which even says that a person holding any official position cannot enjoy life?
Yes, the term ‘responsible behaviour’ is added, and any mature person knows what that entails.
Drunk driving, using profanity, acting or behaving recklessly in public, sharing official information at random, misbehaving with colleagues and subordinates, denigrating others are some of the common infractions but someone enjoying a moment to unwind with music is certainly not a violation of moral code.
The heartening this is that in solidarity with the teacher in question, a social media campaign has begun with people all across the country emulating what she had done, using the same song.
More than two decades ago, there was a regular TV programme in which members of the police and other forces came to showcase their artistic talent.
They sang, danced, took part if vignettes, adding a novel dimension to the popular variety show presentation on television.
Today, social media is a widely accepted platform where an individual shares his/her moments with friends.
Call it personal publicity site if you will, but it’s there and it’s part of life.
There is also a code of conduct here: people upload moments that do not offend or, that are within the civil norms of any society.
Those who use social media mostly know the line separating levity and buffoonery.
A teacher dancing in the rain should be celebrated because as a role model for students, she is relaying the message that we should embrace monsoon with the inner child that lives in all of us.
Sadly, in our society the ‘inner child’ is often suppressed because as we grow older, a very pernicious ideology seeps into the deeper layers of our conscience, dictating that after one has crossed a certain age, their behaviour must conform to certain rigid expectations.
This brings to the fore the hullabaloo over an O, level student who hogged the headlines about a month ago for drumming while wearing a hijab.
Instead of appreciating her skills, there was widespread outrage with many maintaining that hijab wearing is incongruous to drumming, as the former way of life does not permit music.
The point is if wearing the hijab, a woman can play football, be a police officer, nurse, a badminton player, martial arts performer or an entrepreneur, she can also play the drum.
Following modesty in attire does not imply a restriction in one’s pursuit of life’s goals and even pleasures.
Bizarrely, there is such clamour when someone is enjoying life within a perfectly acceptable boundary, but no trolling if a drug dealer using hijab as a cover is caught.
Be that as it may, bigotry needs to be dealt through a united move.
The nationwide support for the rattled teacher in Sylhet illustrates the force of blinkered concepts does not represent the general outlook.
The aim is to have and secure a pluralist society: if someone, by desire and not by coercion or indoctrination, decides to adopt an austere life then let’s salute that, whereas if someone else wants to choose a liberal existence then let’s welcome that too.
If one understands the basic precept of religion: achieving something by force is never the way of God.
Meanwhile, in all this kerfuffle, there is a bonanza for the band which sang the song in question.
We are in Srabon and, once more, the ageless number by Different Touch defines the season.
