Hangal is a town and taluk headquarters in Haveri district, 335 km from Bengaluru in Karnataka. Sitting at this place situated on the left bank of the Dharma River, one can peacefully observe nature for hours. But on May 30 this year, this quiet town suddenly looked completely changed. There was a different energy in the atmosphere, especially in Kumareshwar High School. More than a thousand people including engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs and corporate executives had gathered at their old playground. They were laughing, hugging and even wiping tears out of emotion. They had returned from different cities and came back to the same place from where their life had begun. They had all gathered there to celebrate the retirement of the man who gave them everything. This was his teacher C.S. Clothing. Generally teachers rarely make headlines, especially from small towns, unless they are associated with ‘SIR’. They keep working silently with their salary which is barely enough to sustain their family. Yet day after day, year after year, with their limited income, they also support the dreams of other people’s children. They buy extra books from their own pockets, sacrifice their holidays to teach for free and sometimes even silently pay the fees of students who would otherwise have to drop-out. Vastrad was also a similar future maker. For decades, strict discipline and deep affection for students remained the hallmark of his life. One of his students, Naveen Hulihalli, was also present in that huge crowd. Today Naveen is a successful professional working in a large multinational company in Bengaluru. But his journey to reach the corporate world was full of difficulties. When Naveen was young, his father passed away. In an instant his family fell into extreme poverty and his dream of education was almost over. It was not possible for his grieving mother to afford school fees, uniform and books. Vastrad then played the role of a guardian. With the limited income of a high school teacher, he decided to fund Naveen’s education. They did not stop at just financial help. He also skipped school holidays and organized extra classes for Naveen and other struggling students, so that they did not lag behind in their studies. For Naveen, Vastrad was not just a teacher who taught on the blackboard, but became like a surrogate parent. He guided and supported him till post graduation. He not only imparted bookish knowledge but also taught the students how to move forward in the world and how to build a future starting from zero. When the farewell ceremony reached its peak, there was a wave of enthusiasm among the audience. A new, ribbon-wrapped Maruti Suzuki Swift was brought onto the stage. Naveen walked over, took the key in his hand and turned towards his old mentor. In the presence of local spiritual leaders, trust officials and a thousand of his classmates, he presented the car to his teacher with full devotion. It was a wonderful and tangible token of gratitude for a lifelong debt that may never be fully repaid. This proved that the seeds that teachers sow always bear fruit. Vastrad, filled with emotion, told the people present there in a faltering language that ‘I just performed my duty.’ For him, the biggest reward was to see a thousand successful and honest people together there. The bottom line is that the best way to honor teachers is to never forget that they shaped our future while living with very limited resources. Gave priority to our progress over his needs. Support them in their “Golden Years” after retirement. Take their learning forward and raise the standard of living of others, just as they once raised us.
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N. Raghuraman’s Column: How to express gratitude to the teacher who shaped your life?
