By Raj Paneken

«Li kler, Li vizib, Li palpabe ki nou ena ene zenes en deklin, en dekadance, sans generalize. On a qu’a regardé le comportement de ces jeunes après les heures de classe, surtout à la gare du Nord, Place Margéot et Ian Palach.» To think that the society of tomorrow will be made up of these young. What kind of society can we expect apart from a rotten one! It is clear that we shall have a society bankrupt of education which is synonymous with «une societé malade» if nothing is done to remedy the situation. Otherwise it will add to the deterioration of our law and order which is already in a very bad shape.

The students-gatherings after school hours at these bus-stations need the pressing attention of the authorities. When the students reach these stations after school hours, they give vent to their feelings before they board their bus to go home. Instead of boarding their bus, they just mill around in groups and display attitudes that are quite offensive. Sometimes their foul language and their behaviour vis-à-vis their opposite sex are just shocking. This kind of situation attracts young idlers who are not students but who turn up at the right moment to join in the fun and «kas ene poze.»

The behaviour of the students at the bus-stations is just horrifying and unacceptable. This kind of unmannerly conduct cannot go unchecked as it is harmful to our social environment and unbecoming to their status as students. This social degradation is a direct threat to our society. It can cause an untold harm to it and make our society become unlivable in future.

Such situation can give rise to all sorts of ills and evils, and worsen the law and order which is already on the decline. If we don’t address the problem of students-gatherings at these principal bus-stations after school hours right now, the education of these young will take a turn for the worse and the social degradation will go from bad to worse. These young must not be allowed to behave like this since they are tarnishing the image of the school population and they are a disgrace to our society. If today we are heading headlong towards a rotten society, it is because the educators of yesterday have failed in their duties behind the education of their wards. The society of tomorrow depends on the kind of education we dish out today.

The Solution

These students have to be put in front of their responsibilities― what they should do, what they should not do and what they need to do. This is education in a nutshell. But unfortunately that education in itself is too weak and inadequate without backing. To make it effective, it has to be backed by force. In this respect the authorities, especially the police and «Brigade des mineurs» have a crucial role to play to make that education effective. Education in itself will simply be «un coup d’épée dans l’eau.» I strongly advocate that The Special Mobile Force (SMF) should be posted at these main bus-stations to see that there are no students-gatherings, and the students board their bus straight away to return home. No loitering or milling around should be brooked. As soon as their bus is available, they board it and return home, neither more nor less. Probably at first a little muscle and toughness will have to be exercised to make the recalcitrants comply with the order, but a tough line has to be drawn if we want to set the house in order and prevent a deterioration of the situation. Let us educate today to make the society livable tomorrow.

The very presence of these policemen at these places after school hours will be an effective deterrent to any students-gatherings, loitering or milling around. The sight of these policemen will make the students realize what they should do when they reach these bus-stations. And «ban kaser pose» will vanish by themselves.

Let us hope that the authorities will take good note of the problem and will do the needful before the situation takes a turn for the worse.