Skip to main content

Kashmir Files: intellectual terrorism and teacher's 'responsibility' for nation building

By Arup Mitra*

What is a teacher supposed to do, particularly when we envisage the role in the context of nation building? Providing guidance on routine matters or being intensely informative is a general characteristic which will be beneficial for the students. Aristotle believed that human nature, habit and reason were important elements that needed to be cultivated in the educational process.
The indic tradition believes that teachers can ignite perfection in the students: this concept of perfection is not confined to the syllabus of a teaching programme; rather it encompasses aspects which contribute to the enlightenment of a student and more importantly, helps the student contribute to the growth and development of the society. Hence, what a teacher speaks and does beyond classroom teaching is also of great importance for the nation as a whole.
Half-baked knowledge, views formed on the basis of partially understood issues and the ambition of creating space for oneself can be more dangerous than the most devastating missiles that technology has given to the world because the latter will have to be applied by the human mind which a teacher can control and regulate fully.
The objective of personal gains and the ambition of securing prominence in the world on the basis of something which one has not assimilated, can ruin a civilisation. It is completely unforgivable when there is a deliberate attempt being made to offer a distorted picture and provoke the young mind for action. After all an educational institution is the centre of learning: this space is instrumental to creativity and growth.
Wrong doings and misguidance from the teachers give rise to a set of ideas which can prevail over the reality and will continue to spread in the future as the young mind learns fast and propagates with great rapidity. That is how new history is created, surviving generations and wiping out the truth.
After watching the movie “Kashmir Files”, one is convinced about the power that a teacher possesses. And when that power is systematically used to direct the young mind in a specific way, it is devastating; it is intellectual terrorism.
Intellect is a double-edged knife: every wrong doing can be justified in a meticulous manner and a teacher with the power of articulation can build a completely false notion in the mind of the students. Especially when such efforts are made knowingly and with a purpose, the benefit of doubt certainly cannot be discounted for.
Wrong doings and misguidance from the teachers give rise to a set of ideas which can prevail over the reality
The movie has resulted in huge political blame-game. The television channels are constantly engaged in political debates. But why is there no discussion on the teacher who provoked the students with incorrect narratives, as shown in the movie? If the allegation is not baseless, then there should be an enquiry committee against the person, and strong action must be undertaken.
After all, the educational institute which employs the person is a premier university in the country and the government must not let it pass. In the name of democracy, the academicians have no right to set up their own beliefs and pursue activities which are more heinous than organised crimes.
Social science research in the country has invited strong criticisms over the years precisely because of the lack of scientific research. In the name of qualitative research personal biases, preconceived notions and distorted facts have been presented systematically with great articulation. But we must remember that a set of well-selected words cannot be a substitute for a well-defined research methodology.
The entire gamut of social science research in the country must have to suffer the funding-cuts and undue criticisms because of a few story-tellers who think themselves be the authorities in research and teaching. It is high time that action must be initiated if “Kashmir Files” contains any truth regarding the irresponsible behaviour of a teacher.
---
*Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

Aggressive mining operations: With 70% of Maharashtra’s forest cover, Gadchiroli is on brink of environmental collapse

By  Raj Kumar Sinha*  A looming ecological and social disaster is unfolding in the forests of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. Over 1.23 lakh trees are set to be felled for mining activities—an alarming development that has sparked widespread protests from Adivasi communities and civil society organizations. They are urging the state and central governments to immediately halt all mining-related approvals and operations in the region. They are also calling for a complete review of all clearances, including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Detailed Project Reports (DPR), based on holistic ecological, hydrological, and social assessments. These groups demand that forest corridors and tiger habitats be recognized as protected areas, and that the laws under the Forest Rights Act (2006) and PESA Act (1996) be strictly enforced. Most crucially, they insist that decisions made by tribal gram sabhas be respected through transparent public hearings.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Farmer 'stripped, assaulted' by BSF jawan in West Bengal border village: Rights group urges NHRC to act

By A Representative  A disturbing incident of alleged custodial torture and public humiliation has been brought to the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by a leading human rights group, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), involving a Muslim farmer in a border village of West Bengal. In a formal complaint, Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), has urged the NHRC to take urgent action following an incident that occurred on the morning of June 12, 2025, in Hakimpur village near the India–Bangladesh border under Swarupnagar police station, North 24 Parganas district. According to the complaint, 38-year-old Jahar Ali Gazi, a resident of Hakimpur Uttar Para, was on his way to his field in Kadamtala Math around 7:30 am when he was stopped by an on-duty Border Security Force (BSF) jawan near the 7 No. Outpost of Hakimpur Border Outpost (143 Battalion). The location...

The Empire strikes inward: Britain’s colonial legacy now targets its own citizens

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   British colonialism may belong to the past, but the colonial mindset of the ruling elite in Britain persists. Today, these elites are applying colonial values and repressive political tactics not abroad, but to their own people. 'Home' is now where British colonialism is taking root—threatening civil liberties and undermining liberal democracy. The criminalisation of dissent has become a shared political practice across the Conservative and Labour leadership.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative   In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

A nation betrayed? Embroiled in controversy, Bharat Mata is 'again in shackles'

By Dr. Prem Singh*   Bharat Mata, India’s revered symbol, is again embroiled in controversy, reignited by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In Kerala, the Lieutenant Governor’s display of a saffron-clad Bharat Mata at a government event led to a boycott by the state’s Education Minister, who argued that the Constitution champions inclusive, democratic nationalism, not a singular cultural icon. The Chief Minister condemned the use of Raj Bhavan to push RSS ideology, escalating tensions as the Lieutenant Governor expressed outrage.