Remembering my teacher this day,
My early school days are filled with fond memories of my parents, teachers, and priceless friends. Among the many memories and takeaways from those formative years is the learning I received from my dedicated teachers. This Teachers’ Day, I wish to pay my tribute to Sri Guru Prasad, fondly addressed as SVG, my English teacher at Mahajanas High School, Mysore.
Early Days…
Who among SVG’s students can ever forget the wonderful story of “Cabuliwallah and Mini” by Rabindranath Tagore? It was a part of our non-detailed English course curriculum in class 10. This was the class sessions we eagerly awaited every day.
The session would begin with, “O Cabuliwallah, Cabuliwallah…” amidst a pin-drop silence (a rare phenomenon among teens), and his voice would keep us still for the next 45 minutes or so. When the class ended, the silence would linger for a few more minutes.
SVG’s storytelling ability captivated us, and we often wished the period bell wouldn’t ring so soon. Since the entire non-detailed section was dedicated to this story, it was a significant part of the academic year.
My classmates and I looked forward to this weekly session of “Cabuliwallah” like today’s Netflix series. The story was a box-office hit, not only during my school years but also for several years afterward.
The Next Level Efforts
Seeing the popularity of the “Cabuliwallah” story among our classmates, SVG went an extra mile and arranged for the release of “Cabuliwallah — Part 2.” This required additional effort, and he did not hesitate to invest his teaching energy into it.
A special class by another well-known English professor, Balaji from Mahajana College, was arranged to further present the story for the class of 65. Professor Balaji was also an expert in English drama teaching for degree classes.
I remember SVG brought in some parts of the “Cabuliwallah” story as a recorded version of Professor Balaji’s narration. When Professor Balaji was unable to be present in person, it was the professor’s dramatized audio narration of the story that took us to another level. We visualized every minute of the life and conversation between Mini and the Cabuliwallah as if it were a live show!
Those Poetry Classes
Some of the other sessions where we were glued to our seats (in benches of five) were the poetry sessions. “The Mountain and the Squirrel” — while this was meant to be remembered for exams in those days — brings us much-needed strength in solitude, whether at work or otherwise.
Listening to Wordsworth’s “Solitary Reaper” almost seemed like a narration by the poet himself. We felt the same about Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
Beyond the Classrooms
Beyond classroom sessions, SVG inspired us with many life lessons related to Indian history, especially stories about heroes of the Indian independence struggle, Indian military heroes, unique Indian places, and more.
One such session vividly touched on the story of the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. This story sparked so much interest among my classmates that we even planned a class trip to Port Blair, mainly to see and “experience” the Cellular Jail
SVG was during our times school NCC incharge
SVG was full of energy not only as a teacher but also in other co-curricular activities. As an additional responsibility, he was the National Cadet Corps (NCC) school in-charge. Many of us were inspired by SVG and joined the school NCC
Oh, I can’t forget the masala dosas that used to be served as breakfast after our parade sessions.
A Touching Experience
Decades after leaving high school, I returned as an alumnus of the school. After walking down the memory lanes around the corridors and classrooms, I walked into the staff room, this time less nervous than in my student days.
I spent some time interacting with teachers, for once not about my undone homework or not bringing my parents, but sharing my life experiences as an adult. It felt good to meet them all after years. I also inquired about a few teachers I couldn’t see.Some had retired and sadly some had passed.
While chatting, I asked about Sri Guru Prasad. I was told he was in the classroom. I walked down the corridor and waited near the classroom for the session to end. As the period bell rang, SVG stepped out with a grin on his face upon seeing me. I knew then that he recognized his old student.
As I stood pondering for a few seconds over his full name — since we were only used to the teachers’ initials — I wondered what the ‘G’ stood for: Guru Murthy or Prasad? He extended his hand onto my shoulder and greeted me, “Hey Sridhar Gopal”! — this after decades of my passing out of his class! That was his memory of his old students.
After that touching experience, my respect for SVG only grew even more.
Years Later…
Years later, I visited the school again and realised most of the teachers had retired and some were no longer around.During this visit to the staff room, it was filled with younger faces, mostly ‘strangers’ to me.
Although the anxiety of a student meeting his teacher in a staff room still resurfaced, I realised some of them were younger than me, and this made me walk and talk boldly. I inquired with the teachers there about many of my generation’s teachers and learned about their statuses.
My heart sank when I heard that Sri Guru Prasad was no more and ‘was told that sometime in Jan 2015, he left behind hundreds of his students whom he had groomed to be worthy individuals of the society.
I walked back the same corridors of the classrooms where I heard the wonderful voice of Cabuliwallah — “O Cabuliwallah…” — and many other poems. But the man whose voice still rings in the minds of many students like me was missing.
In the Words of Dr. Abdul Kalam:
“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.” These words very much resonate with SVG.
A Happy Birthday
Many thanks to Dr. Radha Krishna, our former president, who dedicated his birth day to Teachers’ day- A day to remember those teachers who shaped us all. Wishing him a happy birthday!
For Further Readings(click on the title):
— Rabindranath Tagore
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
– Wordsworth
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
– Robert Frost
