Finding freedom, life lessons: How students remember a teacher

“Tomorrow is the first death anniversary of Samarveer Singh. Will you participate in it?” said a message from a student on my phone. I was shocked. Has it already been a year since Samarveer Singh, an ad-hoc professor at Delhi’s Hindu College, died by suicide? I felt ashamed that I had to make some effort to recall the date of his death.

“Where are you doing it?” I asked, expecting the memorial meeting to be held on the premises of Hindu College, where Singh had taught for more than eight years before he was arbitrarily fired.

My guess turned out to be wrong and the meeting was to be held online. Later, the organisers said that it was difficult to get a place in the college to hold the meeting. The memory of the death by suicide of an ad-hoc professor was not good for the image of the college.

Around 30-35 people attended the online meeting, four to five of them were teachers – none from Hindu College – and students from other colleges.

Were the teachers of Hindu College not aware of this meeting? Or do they not consider Singh their colleague, worthy of being at least remembered? Was it because he did not hold a permanent position?...

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