Opinion: For "Slap Muslim Classmate" Teacher, A Lesson From 'Master Ji'

The viral video of a teacher asking a group of students in her class to slap a Muslim boy is certainly disturbing. It is a serious reflection of our public culture, where slapping, abusing, and even lynching Muslims is normal and acceptable.

However, the most troubling aspect of this viral video, at least for me, was the violent image of a teacher. Her attitude seems to glorify violence - not merely to teach this Muslim boy a lesson but also to reproduce social divisions, religious segregation, and above all, partition in a classroom context.

This episode destabilizes my sensibilities - not as a teacher or a Muslim, but as a helpless student. It evokes the old memories of my school days, which, in a way, have shaped my thinking of this noble profession called teaching. More specifically, it reminds me of my teacher, Master ji, who still survives in my imagination as the most ideal, loving, and caring figure. Two personal incidents are relevant here, which have a much wider significance in the present context.