Next week we would be observing ‘Teachers day’ in India on the occasion of birthday of our Ex President and great scholar Late Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan JI. On this occasion I am also remembering some incidents connected with my teachers. These incidents I have also mentioned in my earlier blog posts, when I covered the major incidents of my life.

Let me mention once again that in my initial years I lived and studied in Shahdara, and my first school was Sanatan Dharm Pathshala and later Babu Ram Government Model School, both located near my house in Bhola Nath Nagar, Shahdara.

I remember very few teachers of the second school, where I completed my studies up to higher secondary level. One was Mr. Manohar Lal, the Hindi teacher, who was a good orator, normally he conducted the morning assembly and the stage programs. He often wore a Nehru jacket and displayed a rose flower on that. I was a very shy student, good at studies but never a topper.

I remember it happened only once that I presented a poem before the whole school from the stage, it was a great experience that time, though in the later part of my service life I had great romance with the ‘mike’ and conducted big public programs.

There was one drawing teacher when I was in 9th standard I think, he often asked me to sing before the class, when he came to know that I sang film songs very well, specially those sung by my favorite singer late Mukesh Ji.

There were three English teachers whom I remember. One was a Sardar Ji, a good teacher no doubt, but that time it was the first time that I saw a Sardar Ji in teaching profession and that too teaching English. Till then I had seen Sardar jI people in different kind of professions. However it was my impression that time only.

One of our English teachers was Mr. O.P. Sharma was quite fat and he often said- ‘If I give you my pant, it would serve you as a tent’. He also told us that Dev Anand the actor was his nephew. One incident that I remember is when Mr. O.P. Sharma came to our class in arrangement, means when the concerned teacher for that period was not available. He asked us to write an essay on the topic-‘If I were a Mali (Gardener).

All the students wrote and read out their essays. He kept commenting after every one or two sentences. On my turn I was also expecting such interjections, so I myself stopped at regular intervals but he asked me to continue and finally clapped for me. I had presented the Mali in my essay like a caring parent, who takes care of his wards. His final comment on my submission was ‘You are a freelancer’. That time I didn’t know the meaning of this word also.

After a day or two Mr. Sharma came to our class and asked whether I have a copy of the essay that I had written. I told him that I had written it on a rough page and then thrown in the dustbin.

Another English teacher whom I appreciated a lot was Mr. Harish Chandra Goswami, he loved me a lot and a very sincere and kind teacher. It was perhaps due to such devoted teachers that our government school had the word ‘Model’ included in its name ‘Model Higher Secondary School’, however after I finished my studies at Babu Ram School, Mr. Goswami caught a student copying in the exams and that cruel fellow stabbed the teacher and killed him. The word ‘Model’ then disappeared from the name of our school.

There could be many incidents connected with my school life, however this was something that instantly came to my mind.

This is my humble submission on the #IndiSpire prompt- Share one unforgettable and your favorite personal moment with your teacher. #teachersday

Thanks for reading.

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