The Day to Remember

?(L to R) E.K. Warrier, T.A. Purushotham and Subbaramaiah (1960)

The Worthiest Day to Recall

The Teachers’ Day

B. Yerram Raju*

I could not recall a day when I forgot my teachers. Primarily, parents who gave this precious life to me, are the first teachers. No matter, whether my mother studied only fifth standard or my father studied Intermediate, they guided my career and life. They strived to put me to best schooling – and there were only government schools those days – some were run by the Panchayats, some by the District Boards and some others later by the Zilla Parishads. The teachers were the beacon lights and little did it matter if they used occasionally a cane to correct the errand.

My father’s English Teacher, K. Kesava Rao and his classmate who became English Lecturer taught me English Grammar when I was in the Fourth Standard. The foundation was strong. It is exceedingly difficult not to recall my Telugu teacher in Intermediate, Diwakarla Rama Murthy in Mrs. A.V.N. College, Visakhapatnam who made us author poems with diction either ‘Aataveladi’ or the tough ‘Champakamala’.

Panchapa Kesari Iyer, and R. Swaminathan (Intermediate), M. Suryakanta, M.V. RamaSarma (S. V. University) made me read and read Lord Bacon’s the Studies, Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Shakespeare’s four great tragedies, a couple of comedies like the Merchant of Venice and As You Like It and a few sonnets to make me confident in whatever I write. “ Reading maketh a full man, conference, a ready man and writing, an exact man.’

The day I joined the S.V. University, T.A. Purushotham, addressing all the new entrants in an impressive auditorium, asked us one question: What did you see while climbing the stairs? Excepting two in an audience of 500, told the ‘clock’. Next question was: ‘Tell me about another word for it.’ The reply: Time. He said: Watch. He explained the reason for keeping it and asking the question. What do you ‘WATCH?’ Watch your Word, watch your Action, Watch your Temper, Watch your Character, and Watch your Health. He explained further: if you watch your word, you will be careful not to misuse it – not much is lost and you can take back; if you watch your actions, you will put your right foot forward – you have a chance to step back; if you watch your temper, you will win other’s smiles – once you lose it you will beget enemies; if you lose your character, you have lost almost everything in life; if you do not watch your health, you have lost everything in life.”

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/fincop/the-worthiest-day-to-recall/

We had poems recited in our childhood from Bhaskara Sathakam, Vemana Sathakam, Dasarathi Sathakam (a tough one) in Telugu that had 100 poems each and our great Telugu teachers like Indraganti Hanumat Sastry (in III form or 8th standard in District Board School, Ramachandrapuram), Rayaprolu Subba Rao (Navyandhra Nannaya Bhattu) whose compilation of poems ‘Andhravani’, ‘Jada Kuchchulu’ in simple Telugu language taught us profound thoughts in simple expression about the freedom struggle. Pingali Lakhshmi Kantham, another great poet taught us old poetry and modern poetry in graduation in the Sri Venkateswara university college in 1960s.

Prof. E.K. Warrier, M.S. Prakasa Rao, Subbaramaiah, and B.N. Yugandhar (who later joined the civil services) were all the teachers in Economics who made us go through the original works of Lionel Robins (scarcity definition fame), Joan Robinson (Imperfect Competition theory), Keynes and A guide to Keynes by Hansen – General Theory of Employment during my post-graduation in the S.V. University. These were venerable teachers whose lives and teachings till this 81st year, guide me. I laughed at myself, when Siva Sivani Institute of Management conferred me the title – ‘Teacher of Teachers’ Award on this 5th September in 2008 – feeling dwarfed before my great teachers.

Yet another great teacher, though far younger than me, to remember is Dr. C. Venkata Ratnam, my guide in Ph. D from the Department of Commerce and Management Studies. He filled up the Application form and made me sign to do the doctoral degree in Credit Risk Management. A reputed scholar and amiable teacher and an unparalleled guide for doing the highest degree in life that later made me author of sixteen books, still lush green in my memory, more than a decade of his untimely demise!

Learning was a pleasure and privilege those days. In these days, students look at the laptop and few would see their teacher in flesh and blood, a teacher in emotions, a teacher with affection and love telling them how to read and write and how to shape their careers. The reforms in Education are still distance from the true learning. Brick and mortar classes, chalk and talk transformed into white panel board and a micro-tipped pen as, of course, good substitutes, at least till the Tenth Class would make the future generations a distinct Indian in the emerging world. India should continue to be a place to guide the destiny of the world.?