The Selection of our new Class Monitor.

Every year at the beginning of each academic year, our class teacher appoints one of us to be the ‘class monitor’. His/her job is to mind the class in absence of any teacher, collect all the notebooks for the teacher and accompany her with the lot to the staffroom. In other words, he was the ‘teacher ka chamcha’. The monitor was who enjoyed a special status in the eyes of his classmates. And his friends enjoyed a special status of never getting punished.

It happens in every school, and in everywhere the procedure is more or less the same. One of the few toppers is selected from the batch of scores of students and given the honourable position of the ‘class monitor’. Every probable leader- everyone from the last year’s top rankers began to ally and tried to be in the good books of the teachers. And the entire class tried to be in their good books.

I still remember the time we were in our fifth standard. That was our first day. We were fresh with enthusiasm and optimism. The smell of new books was still lingering and could be felt every time we opened our bags. Like every time, our new class teacher entered. While many of us had known her previously, a handful of newcomers didn’t. She was known for her anger and strictness. With her commanding voice, she introduced herself. Then she asked us to introduce ourselves. One by one, right from the first bench, each of us stood up and said our names and one line about us. The last benchers though had to repeat their words for their voices were inaudible. The backbenchers had lost their voices on learning about their new class-teacher.

After the introductory session, it was time for declaring the class monitor. Every expectant eye looked at our teacher. The first benchers could well be predicted have their fingers crossed.

Then she called out the name of a student who was never bothered except during attendance call and declared him to be the Class Monitor. At her announce, even her prestige couldn’t prevent the classroom from the imminent commotion that followed. How could a non-topper be given that respect? Hardly were any of the back-benchers or timid non-participants ever noticed, except a few talented ones who were only acknowledged during the annual Sports Day or School Fest. The class was becoming unruly.                         

The teacher banged the duster twice to bring back order in the class. Everyone returned to an uncomfortable silence. However, no one dared question her authority. Our desire to be answered remained unquenched even to this day. The only thing significant on that event was the realisation that there were students beyond the regular good scorers and active participants in the classroom and that they had equal chances and opportunities like the rest of them.