Hingmang

Darjeeling, Sept. 5: The government decision to confer the President’s Award to a teacher here has sparked a controversy in the hill town on Teacher’s Day.

President Pratibha Patil today handed over the awards for the year 2005-2006 to 314 teachers at a programme in New Delhi. Karna Bahadur Hingmang, the headmaster of Lower Alubari Primary School here, was one of the recipients. The award, which is the highest honour for a teacher in the country, carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a citation.

The ABGL has, however, shot a letter to the human resource minister Arjun Singh protesting against the selection. The hill opposition party has alleged that Hingmang is a “corrupt teacher” and requested the minister to withdraw the award and order an inquiry into the nomination process.

“The ABGL is shocked and surprised to know that Karna Bahadur Hingmang is among the recipients of the President’s Award this year,” reads the letter written by ABGL president Madan Tamang.

The letter refers to the allegations of selling fake Madhyamik marksheets that had been levelled against Hingmang in 1992.

“Serious charges were brought against him (in 1990-91) by police for his involvement in a racket selling fake marksheets (of) the state Madhyamik examination. He was also arrested and put behind bars in the year 1992,” the letter states.

The ABGL has also alleged that despite being the headmaster, Hingmang can hardly be found in school. The headmaster, who is also the general secretary of the GNLF-affiliated Primary Teachers’ Organisation, has been accused of “neglecting his duties to work for the teachers’ union.”

The DGHC had earlier claimed that the government had nominated Hingmang’s name after the council had “forwarded” it.

The executive officer of the DGHC’s education department (formerly called secretary), S.K. Lama, said he was not aware of the deatils. “I am not sure about the details. I took charge of this department only in August and the name had been forwarded earlier. The final selection is made by the government,” he told The Telegraph. “I don't think any details were concealed ”.

Though Hingmang had been arrested it is clear that the charges were not proved in the court. Any serving government employee remains suspended until he is cleared of all charges.