It was a calm evening at the Indian Institute of Science। I was busy with my only and favourite pastime photography. The evening was perfect for its golden lighting and rich vivid flowers all over the campus. I was almost blank that day and was unwinding.
I got a call from my teacher. A ‘teacher’ in true sense. He was Shri Ranganathaiah. We share a very special bond, affection and I believe [he never agrees] that what my personality is heavily influenced and shaped during my five years at Desheeya Vidyaa Shaala (DVS) at Shivamogga, where he taught me more than my curricula.
For one whose energy and zeal diminishes at times, its only when I get to meet my teachers or get a call from them, I realize how much of energy I draw from them and my zeal and goals get reinforced.
I live those five years every time I use my skills, my thoughts and my ideas. I have been built to what I am, in my thoughts, will power and my zeal at DVS. To me the word DVS not just represents a school where I studied, but a precious treasure of diverse teachers. I was completely zero in sports and I was not a special or outstanding student. Not special as our DVS is still the first place of choice for bright students who have ‘an edge’ over others. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the DVS gurukula [I almost feel it is one except for the fact that we did not stay back there at the end of the day]. I call DVS a gurukula because the teachers there were more than just teachers for me and along with the subjects, they taught us values of life. I should say, our batch got the best of the teachers and their experiences. I remember all my teachers, from HS Nagamani, GS Venkatesh, Asha K, BS Ananthrao, K Ragnavendra Rao and HS Shankaranarayana Bhat. Words fail short and I tend to feel nervous even till date when I think of my teachers. We had a mix of teachers, from very systematic science and arts teachers such as HSN, GSV and AK to seasoned veteran such as BSA who is very meticulous, neat and should say, a perfectionist mathematics teacher and HSS, our samskrutha shikshakaru (can’t really call them teachers, he is one of the rarest, and to me the only teacher of morality and specially Indian culture).
We also got a cream of some special teachers who shaped my creative/aesthetic skills. CSG and HPS are like synonyms to ‘art’ to me. With the initial foundation of my mother, my strong skill sets in drawing-painting came from their training. Although it was formally for three years, I have been learning from them till date. I feel even recent experiments (and whatever little success) in photography is entirely their training. I remember all those composition lessons during school days which helped me to take a significant leap and familiarity with the camera. SR. A perfectionist. Not a popular teacher at all. But his pulse and zeal for teaching, for basic science instincts, support to students in his own way. They are just unmatchable. He is a perfect administrator and he will be my choice for heading any such challenging initiative. I get to learn from him even till date.
I somehow feel there is god only for this reason [not that I do not believe strongly or I do] that I was fortunate enough to get a set of invaluable teachers who shaped me. My recent interactions with them [I feel] was 1% less than what it was. My teachers are proud of me doing my research at IISc. They feel it is something I have achieved by my virtue. Yes, by the virtue of what I learnt from DVS in those golden years. I do not feel it is any great achievement at this point of time. But it gives a sense of satisfaction of being able to make my teachers proud. I am sure I will reach to the next level where my teachers can be proud of me. And ‘I am sure’ because I am being blessed constantly, with their noble hearts, goodwill and seasoned thoughts. I feel this is where the strength of real India is. I may be very expressive and vocal in writing this. But I feel this gives a lot of strength to me and to a lot of students who are less fortunate to be not able to learn from these veterans. I am sure the next generation of teachers are potent enough to tower to their level. But yes, to me there can be no another BSA/HSS/SR. I am fortunate to get them and have them in my life.
I actually wanted to write some of the points which I discussed with SR at Nesara [a restaurant inside IISc campus], but ended up writing this nostalgic note on my teachers. Of course every true student will have ‘a special teacher’ who will always act as the energy source throughout their life. Still, I feel I really was lucky to have so many of them during right time of the development of my personality. I will continue writing about my specific teachers and I will try not making it just an admiration note, but a depiction of those ‘special’ occasions, teachings, thoughts and discussions which have influenced me. I feel that’s my gratitude to the teacher fraternity.
