Some blows hurt the mind more deeply than the body. After a few days, the injury or wound on the body will disappear, but the wound in the mind will never dry up, its scar will never be erased and it will remain in the memory forever. It was the same judge who revealed the other day that even the Chief Justice of the country's Supreme Court still carries the scars of the punishment given to him by his teacher for a simple memory error when he was in fifth grade. Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud reminded all the teachers of the country that he has not forgotten the trauma he experienced from his teacher at the age of 10!

"It is not enough to teach by teaching; you must also teach by punishing" is not just a saying; the older generation of teachers have adopted it as a practical science in the classroom. Most parents encouraged such teachers by saying, "You should give a good thrashing, sir." It can be said that the intention behind such punishment was for the child to study well and excel academically. But does anyone remember how deeply such harsh punishments must have wounded the student's mind and sense of pride? No one would think that one moment of ridicule in front of classmates could somehow affect a student's later life, but the individual may not have forgotten it. That is why, at the age of sixty-four, the Chief Justice of India sadly recounted the story of an old wound from the age of five.

As the curriculum and teaching methods have changed, fortunately, the discipline of teachers has also evolved. Not only that, issues such as children's rights and juvenile justice have been widely discussed and accepted at the international level. It is true that corporal punishment is generally less common than in the past, and some teachers have been prosecuted for such acts. However, there are still few and far between teachers who are cruel to their students and inflict punishments that make them a laughingstock in front of their classmates! Learning is about discipline, not punishment. The first thing that needs to change is the attitude that students are the ones to be punished.

The real ability of a good teacher is the ability to enhance a child's understanding and raise their educational level through positive discipline without resorting to punishment. A teacher is the remover of darkness. Cruel punishments in classrooms do not enlighten children's minds with the light of knowledge; instead, they deepen the darkness of inferiority complexes and vindictiveness. Every child's capacity for information processing and speed is different. Some children may find it difficult to focus on studies due to family circumstances, hearing impairments, visual impairments or learning disabilities. Recognizing this, teachers should be able to pay special attention to each child. That is how a true teacher emerges in the classroom. The childhood experience remembered by the Chief Justice of India should be remembered by every teacher.