The Teacher that is a Guru: Recognizing the Civilizational Memories

A teacher is not merely a course instructor; his responsibility extends beyond the classroom, shaping a student’s thoughts and career. Perhaps the English term 'teacher' is inadequate as it tends to make us view the role through a Western lens. Thus, the term 'guru' is often used when someone expresses deep appreciation for the teachings received. India is the only civilization that considers teachers or gurus as the highest forms of God (for those unfamiliar, this may be quite confusing). Perhaps this veneration of teachers is why Indian civilization has survived, while all other great civilizations have faded into the pages of history.

How long the civilization will survive is a million-dollar question, though. The founders of modern India, knowingly or unknowingly, worked hard to erase our civilizational memories. Hence, 'Guru Purnima' became outdated and was replaced by 'Teacher’s Day,' just like chariots in palaces were replaced by Mercedes and Toyotas. And now, everyone is confused as to whether the gurus were great or the teachers are. This confusion has created a significant gap between the worlds of gurus and teachers.

Yesterday, during the Teacher’s Day celebration in our department, my colleague Eswar aptly noted that many undergraduates would not even know our names. I wonder whether they really need to know our names. When students see teachers’ roles restricted only to the classroom, they view our relationship as quite transactional. How often do we ask a shopkeeper’s name while shopping? On the other hand, people who promise salvation and afterlife benefits assume the title of 'Guru.' They should not be blamed, as teachers have chosen to discard that title in favor of titles such as 'professor,' which hold better market value.

Nevertheless, civilizational memories stubbornly refuse to fade. Yesterday, after class, an undergraduate student tried to touch my feet. It wasn’t difficult for me to understand why he did that. It was also not difficult to understand why he did that after all his friends had left the scene. It was not an isolated encounter, in any case.

When students come for PhD or MTech, personal interaction becomes essential, allowing ancient sentiments to rise to the surface and reveal themselves. To hide the awkwardness, the teacher that is a guru transforms into an adviser or professor. Of course, we choose to celebrate Teacher’s Day, not Guru Purnima, to honor the teacher-student bond. Yesterday, our PhD and MTech students brought a cake and surprised us with a bag with the logo of our group (GROW): https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7237509598763474945/. They asked each one of us a thought-provoking question. The question posed to me was perhaps the easiest: What keeps me motivated? Well, no external motivation is needed for a teacher, especially at an IIT. A teacher can choose to be a free spirit. Few other workplaces will offer so much freedom.

It doesn’t matter which day we choose to celebrate, nor does it matter how we celebrate. The celebration must go on. It is a tradition worth saving.