Maninder Sidher

Mr. Tagde was a teacher at a private school. He had reported against an influential Student, Veerendra More. He had recommended expulsion of the boy. The Principal, on the other hand, wanted that Mr. Tagde should withdraw the report. Mr. Tagde, however, narrated, in detail, the misdeeds of the boy. The Principal was not willing to put the matter on the agenda for the school committee meeting. Mr. Tagde threatened that he would send the report to the individual members of the committee as well as to the press. Mr. Tagde realised that his action might cost him even his job. Still he decided to listen to the voice of his conscience. In the evening, a lawyer came to him. The Principal had asked him to talk to the teacher. However, the teacher declared that he had decided to fight against injustice and corruption. Next morning a rich Brahmin farmer visited him and persuaded him to withdraw the report. His threats and warnings had no effect on Mr. Tagde. The teacher was later attacked by a few boys. He was badly injured. However, Mr. Tagde thought that he had got an opportunity of becoming free of fear. He was proud of his action. The next day, the lawyer came to him once again. He informed the teacher that the boy's parents would take the boy out of the school within three months if Mr. Tagde withdrew the report. Mr. Tagde nodded mechanically. He looked ahead of three more years of teaching and then retirement and a pension. The hero in him had died. He had made another