Everyday Heroes

“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others”. How often have we heard this saying; and how often have we stopped and thought about it? It is a teacher who first introduces us to ourselves. We start learning what we are and what we like because of our teachers. We start asking questions because they encourage us to; we start observing our surroundings more closely because they make it more interesting.
My dad used to narrate a story of one of his teacher who was an example of the true self-sacrificing image of a guru. The board examinations in India fall in the month of March when it used to be pretty chilly in the villages in the morning. This teacher used to wake up early in the morning on each examination day and prepare tea for all his students living in the village. Then he used to walk several kilometers from his own house to the students’ dwellings to wake each student up and deliver tea to him, so that they had ample time to revise their syllabus. How many people have that much of dedication towards their work! Though this teacher is no more now, yet all his students remember him with immense respect and fondness. When he died, there were queues of cars from his house to the outside of the village, which was about 10 km away. This shows how much he had meant to his pupils!
I am reminded of my professor in English in college. He was the ultimate gentleman and the perfect teacher. As soon as he entered a classroom full of students, he could tell the exact number of pupils present. So strong was his observation! When he was in interrupted in the middle of a sentence by a student, after answering the student’s question, he could pick up the sentence exactly from where he left it. This is something that awed me and I inculcated this habit into myself.
When the examinations results were announced, he was shocked to see that almost everyone in the class got same marks, and even his favorite student, I, scored as others. All of us were also astonished, as this meant that there had been no proper checking of our answer sheets. But unlike other teachers, who used to say that they cannot interfere with the university’s processes, professor did not accept things like this. He immediately called the university and reprimanded the concerned people. He told them if they did not know how to differentiate between a student with good language skills and that with average skills, they should not be holding such important offices. They had no right to toy with the students’ futures. This might have been a first in our university; and people paid attention. Next time examination results saw clear distinction between students’ marks in English paper.
I learnt later that once some thieves had entered in his house and pointed a gun at him. And our professor did not get scared even for a moment (most people especially at his age would). Rather, he challenged the thief and said to him, “If you had guts to shoot, you would not be pointing this gun at an old man. I dare you, you can’t shoot at me. So just get out my house.” And the thieves really left his house and him alone! When I got to know of this, I thought what if the robber had shot him. But then, I imagined him standing there; staring at the already scared burglar, and talking in his imposing voice, I had little doubt what choice anyone would have. I always respected him for being a wonderful teacher, after that I started appreciating him as a courageous person. When I fear something, I think about this incidence and get strength to face it.
There were other teachers who come to my mind when I reminisce about my school days. There was my English subject teacher in high school, who used to find time to go through my poetry and edit it. She always had encouraging words for me. It was because of her that I continued composing poetry for a long time. Then, there was our Biology teacher. It is because of him I started loving the subject. My Physics teacher in class 7; my Hindi and History teachers in class 10 have a special place in my heart.
It is not Teacher’s Day today, but do we really need a specific day to thank the people, who, along with our parents, have a big hand in shaping our characters and future. I thank all my teachers who made a difference.