Teachers' Day

=========================================================================

It is now past midnight here and so I am into the Teachers' Day of India.

The elevation of the Birthday of our ex-President and ex-Vice Chancellor of our AU, Sri S. Radhakrishnan, is a recent phenomenon.

But in our country Teachers used to be accorded unconditional reverence from the Vedic Ages to the Puranic.

The story in Mahabharat of Arjun's Guru, Dronacharya, demanding and getting the right thumb of his online-disciple, Ekalavya, is the epitome of academic controversy. Apparently the demand and the act was watched by Dron's own son Ashwatthama who resented it inwardly.

But Arjun was the favorite disciple of Dron; still I suppose this type of surgical negative favoritism is rare...I may say that I too had my favorites during my 40-year stint as a Teacher at IIT KGP, although I didn't demand anyone's metaphorical thumb...all of them were my favorites {;-}

There is this charming story told by our Telugu Teacher about the first encounter between Arjun and Dron as adversaries:

At the very end of Pandava's one-year hiding, Kauravas stole a thousand cows of the King in whose court Pandavas had sought shelter. Arjun happened to launch the counter attack and on seeing his fond Teacher Dron on the other side, he sent a missile that wound its way all around and ended up at the feet of Dron, thus paying homage to his Teacher, Dron,...much like DB finding his Teacher and Ph D Guide as the chief-examiner in his Professor's Interview on the other side of the slaughter-table.

In our childhood, the Teachers' Day was celebrated on the Vijayadasami Day at the end of Durga Pujas. Our poorly paid teachers used to visit our homes in their best khadi garments, and we students used to be a given a specially designed bow and arrow system, which when activated used to throw flowers on our teachers seated in our best chair...after which the teachers would cuddle and bless us, and our parents used to make us give presents to them...often a jibba and a few costly rupees.

During our time, the students of IIT KGP used to pay their homage to their teachers in their own perverse way on the Foundation Day. In the evening there was this Teachers vs Students Soccer Match. The day was in mid-August and it used to rain invariably making the ground slushy and rainy and the best weather for Footer. The Teacher's Team was headed by the senior-most teacher into his retirement age and the other members included the Gymakhana President, Deans and other innocent celebrities.

In the first half the students used to score half a dozen goals impertinently and that was too much because the Teachers have to win by default. So, in the second half, the students pretended to lose their footwork and sustained calculated injuries and did everything short of self-goals...eventually they had to blindfold their goalkeeper...

Talking of soccer, my ex-student turned Professor T. B. Ghosh told me this story:

Soon after his Ph D at KGP, he got a chance as a Lecturer in the newly started Arunchal Pradesh University. It was a scary place then, particularly for Bengalis, but he decided to take it up for one year to gain necessary experience before he returned to KGP. And, he was subjected to subdued animosity and suspicion during his first month. Then came the rains and TBG couldn't resist the temptation of soccer. So, he requested his students to give him a place in one of the teams.

That's it!!! He became an instant Messi (he was a keen footballer) and his students were begging him not to quit...he became their Soccer Teacher and got fabulous mementos which he showed me.

And on his return from an year's stay in England, he came to my room and gave me a beautiful patent leather book-marker with the London Tower, royal ensigns and famous quotes embossed in gilt on it...it must be still with me somewhere...although he is no longer with us sadly...

I didn't know for long that before he became the Vice-President of our Free India, the Teacher-Supreme, Radhakrishnan was Indian Ambassador to the Soviet Union and had cordial relations with Joseph Stalin...Philosopher vis-a-vis Dictator:

"...In 1949, Dr. Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union. The appointment raised many eyebrows because people wondered what kind of an impression Radhakrishnan, a student of idealist philosophy, would make on Joseph Stalin, an ardent communist. In 1950, Radhakrishnan was called to the Kremlin to meet with the Premier...Radhakrishnan told Stalin, "We had an emperor in India who, after bloody victory, renounced war and became a monk. You have waded your way to power through force. Who knows that might happen to you also." Radhakrishnan was referring to Stalin's infamous "bloody" purges. Stalin smiled and replied, "Yes, miracles do happen sometimes. I was in a theological seminary for five years!"

On April 5, 1952, a few days before Radhakrishnan's departure for India, Stalin called on Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan records Stalin's face being bloated. Radhakrishnan patted him on the cheek and on the back. Stalin said, "You are the first person to treat me as a human being and not as a monster. You are leaving us and I am sad. I want you to live long. I have not long to live." Stalin died six months later. Radhakrishnan's legacy in Moscow was a firm and friendly understanding between India and the Soviet Union. A relationship which has flourished over the years and has become even stronger."

http://www.liveindia.com/freedomfighters/11.html

==========================================================================