Shityika, Teachers’ Day Special Issue

Shityika, Teachers’ Day Special Issue
Kuntala Bhattacharya 1999 Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering
Dipak Chakrabarty, 1976 Civil Engineering

“Teacher” – A mentor, a guru, a guide who encapsulates knowledge and powers up the unknowns within his or her disciple.
By Kuntala Bhattacharya 1999 ETC

A teacher comes into each one of our lives in different forms. Sometimes in the form of parents, close relatives, special friends, colleagues, or educators. The intention is similar, nurturing our minds and hearts to be resourceful, inculcating information, facts, figures, and many more. And yes it’s not limited to only knowledge, but to keep counseling on how to stand ahead as a good individual.

Teachers Day
We, Indians, especially owe our gratitude to a legendary person who uplifted the role of a teacher in building up a nation and its future generations. He was a renowned teacher, guide, and philosopher and is none other than the Late President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. As a mark of dedication and respect, 5th September, the birthday of Dr. Radhakrishnan, is celebrated as “Teachers Day” in India. We, Indians, extend our regards and honor to our teachers and mentors on this very special day.

Teachers at each stage of our lives
A child is born into this world, oblivious of its characteristics, inherent attributes, the people around it, the ways and means for survival, the flora, the fauna, and billions of activities with varied definitions and motives. Guidance and learning are immensely crucial for a kid at each step of growth. Parents are the first gurus for a child, grooming them with loads of information, skills, proficiencies, and perceptions at each milestone of life. They handhold their children to face the odds with brevity starting from the journey of a toddler, crossing the period of adolescence, and then to an adult. Whenever we celebrate “Teachers Day”, it is our foremost responsibility to express our dedication to our parents too. They light up our soul with their encouragement and motivating words. Remember the lullabies mothers sing coaxing their babies to sleep. Each of them conveys a meaning that registers within the mind of a child, an honest initiation of learning.

As the child is introduced to academics, the role of a school teacher gains prominence along with the parents. Different subjects, various informational elements, a plethora of knowledge, and bags of learning gracefully greet a child with both hands; a precious and lifelong gift from the teachers. It is a journey of development from a novice to an expert, and the contribution of a teacher at each step in this journey is beyond definition. With perseverance and endurance, a teacher imbibes moral values with each student; thus carving a path towards growth and success. A teacher creates the future of a nation, performing multiple roles, sometimes as a guardian, sometimes as a sister or a brother, and sometimes as a strict disciplinarian.

Prominent Teachers
India has witnessed several prominent and legendary teachers in various facets of life – sports, academics, science, and so on. Swami Vivekananda was a religious teacher who taught us the values of life, respect for human beings, be truthful, honest, and pure in beliefs. Gautam Buddha renounced the luxurious life of a prince and advocated to educate the people about the essence of humanity and livelihood. Chanakya, the great Indian philosopher and professor, was influential in introducing modern management and leadership paradigms in academics. Madan Mohan Malviya was instrumental in establishing the Benaras University while mingling Indian traditional culture and thoughts with contemporary techniques. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the late President of India and an aerospace scientist, always believed in the youth and their innovative ideas and thoughts. He encouraged students of the new generation to think beyond and eccentrically propagate the nation. Ramakant Achrekar is one of the noted mentors in the field of sports, renowned for coaching many Indian cricketers, specially to mention about Sachin Tendulkar.

Such were the examples of teachers from India, whose unique teaching techniques and expertise, radiated sparks of knowledge and command over a multitude of subjects. Today in the world, Indians are considered pioneers in the field of education. The credit to a certain degree is attributed to the great teachers of India and as Indians, we must be proud.

Lastly, a small dedication to all the teachers we have experienced in our lives.

“Enlightening us with knowledge
Illuminating us with intellectual breadth
Encouraging in believing in the future
Personifying love as thy nurture

De-mystifying an unknown world in our eyes
Imbibing within us the courage to live our dreams
We bow down to your perseverance
We salute your tolerance

Love the evergreen smile on your face
As we climb the ladders of success
The hurdles ease up through your inspiration
The obstacles clear away through your motivation

You drive a spirit within us to live
You cultivate our minds to be brave

We owe you gratitude immense
We owe you respect that’s intense
As we take a vow on this day
To celebrate “Teachers Day”.

গুরু-শিষ্য পরম্পরা
দীপক চক্রবর্তী, ১৯৭৬ সিভিল ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং

প্রাচীনকাল থেকেই আমাদের সনাতন ভারতবর্ষে গুরু-শিষ্য পরম্পরা চলে আসছে। “গু” অর্থাৎ অন্ধকার থেকে “রু” অর্থাৎ আলোর দিকে যিনি আমাদের নিয়ে যান তিনিই গুরু। আষাঢ় মাসের পূর্ণিমা তিথিতে, গুরু পূর্নিমা’র দিনে আমরা আমাদের গুরুদের স্মরণ করি।
“গুরুর্ব্রহ্মা গুরুর্বিষ্ণু গুরুর্দেবো মহেশ্বর।
গুরুরেব পরং ব্রহ্ম তস্মৈ শ্রীগুরবে নমঃ।।“
অর্থাৎ, আমাদের যিনি ব্রহ্মজ্ঞান দান করেন, সেই পরম গুরু ব্রহ্মা, বিষ্ণু ও মহেশ্বরকে আমার প্রণাম জানাই।

আমাদের দেশে একটা প্রবচন আছে,
“গুরু গোবিন্দ দুয়ো খাড়ে, কাকে লাগু পায় ।
বালিহারি গুরু আপনে যিন গোবিন্দ দিয়ো বতায়ে।“
অর্থাৎ, গুরু এবং ঈশ্বর দু’জনেই যদি আমার সামনে এসে দাঁড়ান, তাহলে আমি গুরুকেই আগে পায়ে হাত দিয়ে প্রণাম করব। কারণ, তিনিই আমাকে ঈশ্বরকে চিনিয়েছেন।

৫-ই সেপ্টেম্বর আমাদের জাতীয় শিক্ষক দিবস। আমাদের জীবনে শিক্ষকদের অবদান আজ এই পূণ্যদিনে আমরা কৃতজ্ঞতা’র সঙ্গে স্মরণ করি।