“Then
what happens in Army? I want to know what happens in Army. Are they not given
punishment?” He rotated his chair 30 degree and asked his deputy and a fellow faculty,
“what do you suggest, monetary punishment or physical?” The Assistant Dean was
feeling great, he felt like a hero. It was impossible to identify the real
culprit in a campus of 3000 odd students. But he had caught the security guards
off guard for neglecting in their duty. Assistant Dean, an aspirant of the vacant
post of Dean gave his verdict, “a student who could draw specs on the face of
Newton, can do murder his science teacher”. And with sadness in his voice he
commented further “this mishap could be avoided if those guards were more
vigilant”. The other faculty was not sure whether the student who of course did
a mischief was seriously capable of killing his teacher; he cleared his throat
and said ‘let me call Colonel’. Everybody agreed. Director shouted ‘why Colonel
is not there? Where is the campus security in charge?’
Colonel
was a retired engineer from Army. Looks like the next door grandpa. His
toothless face makes him look even older. He has been appointed Campus Administrator
because of his Colonel tag. He was not in the campus the previous day due to loose
stomach. Colonel enters the scene with his security in charge. Unanimously it
was agreed that on humanitarian ground the poor security guards should not be
fined. They will have to run from the main gate to the canteen and back in the scorching
Sun of May. It was just about 5 Kilometres. Someone, probably the security in
charge murmured once that some of the guards were heart patients. In the chaos Director
heard ‘heart patients’ as ‘ hat be’( they would walk). He said with a
dictatorial voice ‘keu hatbe na’ ( no one will walk). “They will complete the
run in ten minutes. I will count in my watch.”
Suddenly
there were two calls one after the other in the Directors landline and mobile. Director
said in his mobile “Union problem? Okay! I see, I will look for alternatives to
punish those idiots”. While attending the other call, the 64 years old Director
was perspiring a lot but with an authoritative tone he ordered all in the room “Let’s
rush to the department, students are threatening to boycott class, can you
imagine the audacity?”
