Assault on census officials and teachers is not an aberration anymore; it is becoming a disturbing pattern. The recent attack in Dhenkanal, where four teachers on census duty, including two women, were beaten with sticks by a family during routine data collection, is a shocking indictment of collapsing civic sense. Equally alarming was the threat issued to a woman enumerator in Khurda, exposing how even basic governance exercises are being met with hostility.

These are not isolated incidents. Reports of census workers facing abuse, obstruction, and even violence during fieldwork underline a deeper social breakdown. When teachers, already burdened with non-academic duties, are attacked, it reflects a dangerous erosion of respect for public institutions.

Odisha cannot normalise this descent into intimidation. The state must act decisively, ensuring strict punishment and robust protection mechanisms. Silence or inaction will only embolden lawlessness further.