The Surveillance Classrooms.

The COVID pandemic has had brought big toll on the institutions. The students are suffering from digital connectivity. The students who should sit in the classrooms to discuss the issues are made to sit at home. On one hand, students are suffering from digital connectivity, others belonging from Adivasis and Schedule Tribes area and backward classes are suffering from digital infrastructure. However, this is only a part of the problem; the students with digital infrastructure and digital connectivity have different sets of problems. 

First, The central issue is about surveillance on the meetings; neither the professors nor the students could speak freely in the class. It seems we have been monitored; the BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING US!! The major effect is on social science studies. Other fields like engineering or medical can be recorded and kept because they involve only technological problems and issues. The government is not involved in any case.

Social science is the field where students criticize the government in different ways. The classrooms are mini-parliament where young generation- debates, discusses- the young minds are cultivated- with discussions and they criticizes the powerful peoples. They talk about Plato’s Platonic world, discuss critiques on movements and people. Students also criticize their leaders. Take for consideration, students and professors do talk about the prevalence of the formation of society. In the process, they talk about freedom fighters like Gandhi and make a critique about them. Even the men like Savarkar, Golwalkar, Tilak, etc. pass through the prism of young minds, like a white light passing through the prism splits into seven constituent colors. Similarly, young minds make different interpretations. The worst will be if a student runs for public policy in the near future. His recorded video criticizing national leaders may cost him to lose office.

Second, The recorded online classes do not promote free speech and are against the idea of freedom of speech. In the discussion, students make various comments. The recorded video stops the free-thinking and does more harm- the young minds will be tomorrow’s political leaders, bureaucrats, Journalists, etc. To be more elaborative, if a student is discussing China’s policy in the class, criticizes the government. The same student(later in life) is appointed as Ambassador to China or assigned as a policymaker- the opposition or stronger ones may use the recording to pull his leg down. It reminds me of the series House Of Cards, when Frank Underwood pulls down the Secretary of State, showing how he criticized Palestine’s stand on Jerusalem in his college days. The recording can be used to pull down the people; this hinders free-thinking. Even the professors fear and try not to criticize the government. This would bring more worries- and is against the basic concepts of democracy. 

Third, Many people defend recording, as people absent in the class can take the benefits and rewatch the videos. However, this itself is against the right to privacy. The topics discussed in the class and their reactions to them are dynamic. Watching videos will give a rough idea(which can be asked to a classmate or concerned teacher, would send summary). Showing the whole of the video will only bring stereotypes among the batchmates. In the worst case, the video will be used to make memes or tease the fellow batchmate; this may promote bullying.  

Fourth, there is a specific bond between the professor, class, and students. The recording watched by another person(an outsider) will go against the privacy of every individual present in the classroom. The bond between the students and class is very delicate, and recorded videos will only break this bond. The powerful regime can act against the concerned professor, student, etc. in acts of sedition, UAPA, or other draconian laws.

Sid says, “Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” in the movie Hangover I. So Whatever happens in class should remain in class; recorded class will only do more harm than any good. 

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows. The recorded video not only takes the freedom to say two plus two makes four but also bound students and professors not to think beyond the addition of the numbers. We are living in a democratic country, not in the police state.