It hasn’t been too long when the teachers would evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their students. But the scenario has changed. Now, the students fill up the survey sheets to rate the performance of their teachers. There are no dearths of instances, when the teachers, who have turned puppets in the hands of the management and parents, lose their jobs.
No matter when and how this has become a part of our education system; the age-old ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ has been the corner stone of Indian society.
Be it Arjuna, the legendary archer of epic Mahabharata, or Little Master Sachin Tendulkar, considered the greatest cricketer of this generation or all those who achieved greatness in life, they couldn’t have scripted history had they not been handheld by their Gurus.
With just a day to go before Teachers’ Day, a few celebrities tell Sunday POST about the influence of teachers in their life.
Teachers are integral
of one’s larger identity
Sharing his perspective of identity of students gifted by the teachers, eminent poet and lyricist Devdas Chhotray says, “Everybody aspires to have a Guru or a hand holding mentor of significance, in the process of growing up. I had quite a few. Even Ekalavya, the tribal warrior boy of Mahabharata, acquired a Guru by sculpting the statue of Dronacharya, when he was denied access to him, and practiced before the statue, his self -learnt archery.”
is an Indian Odia author, an administrator and an academician. He was the first vice-chancellor of Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha. Chhotray is known for his collaboration with Akshaya Mohanty, a pioneer in modern Oriya music from the 1960s until his death in 2002, as Mohanty’s principal songwriter.
This is an extraordinary relationship which eventually becomes an integral part of one’s larger identity, almost next to parentage, adds the former vice-chancellor of Ravenshaw University.
“Teachers and books are mostly the ones who first bring in the sunshine of clarity to the cloudy and opaque days of youthful ignorance,” said the principal songwriter of music icon Akshaya Mohanty from the 1960s until his death in 2002.
‘Gurus now demand to hear from us’
Namrata Mohanty, a B High-grade artist of All India Radio recalls, “Going back in time when we were in schools, every teacher seemed more special on this day. There would be some functions planned by us and to keep the significance going, we would participate in debates and other creative activities.”
Mohanty laments that the present generation has gotten into giving more materialistic things to the teachers on this day.
She owes whatever she has achieved in life, to all her teachers.
“Special mention to the musical gurus, I am what I am today because of you. Your impact has gotten into me and impacted me in all great ways to bring me where I am,” she adds.
Namrata, who visits her gurus every year on Teachers’ Day, says, “Sometimes they insist to hear from us, sometimes we demand to learn from them.”
