An insulting Insulted assault?

This time, the scene is in Dujegang Middle Secondary School, Daga. Five class nine students were suspended. They, however, can appear exams at the end of the year, but cannot continue their studies in the same school from the next academic session. And the cause? It is a “hairy issue”.

Having received a funny hair cut from their teachers, these five insulted and infuriated students teamed up and assaulted a lopon. They were said to have stoned the teacher’s quarter.

And back then when we were students, especially our lopons seemed to take so much interest and pride in cutting our hairs. We didn’t understand why our teachers didn’t like our hair to grow. I can still remember a teacher applying black paint on our girls’ hair. That was bit too much, I know.

Keeping one's hairs short or long is completely an individual’s choice. Today we talk so much about personal freedom and have a government that promotes nothing but democratic values and principles. This leads to other problems, teachers might say, but today change is the permanent feature everywhere and people tend to accept it. We must. 

Khentse Rimpochhe says: “… keeping a rich tradition and culture vibrant and alive does not mean pushing people to do exactly what their ancestors did 50 or 100 years ago.” (Source: Kuensel) And of course if these students were engaged in socially harmful habits like drug and alcohol abuse, it is a serious issue – the school authority should take full responsibility.   Physical appearance and mental attitudes are two different things and sadly our teachers seemed to see the two as one. A boy who grows his hair long is not necessarily a bad person. Likewise someone who chooses to shave his head plain may not necessarily have a sound attitude.  

But assaulting teachers is a serious disciplinary problem and hence punishable.