MY MOM'S SPEECH

MY MOM, THE TEACHER
I, HER SON, HER DISCIPLE, HER FOLLOWER, HER STUDENT, HER DEVOTEE
JUST WANTED TO MAKE THIS TEACHERS DAY OF HER SPECIAL
IT TOOK ME JUST 20 ODD MINUTES
THE BEST I COULD DO WAS
WRITE A SPEECH FOR HER
SHE SPOKE AT HER SCHOOL
WHEN I CAME BACK IN THE EVENING AND ASKED HER, "MOM HOW WAS THE SPEECH?"
SHE SMILED AND REPLIED, "EVERYBODY LIKED IT"
I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER GIFT THAN HER SMILE AND MY TRUE DAKSHINA TO HER

The happiness of appreciation stands shared with three of my very best friends: Rohini Nair | Shankari Nandi | Malvika Sengupta

My friend, Malvika commented - (i have read the speech, and i think it would get featured in "the bestest teacher's day speech ever delivered" in your mom's school's annual mag!!!)


THE SPEECH:


"Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers’ Day."

A humble request or a desire conveyed to everyone who knew him as Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. I therefore consider it my privilege to be given the opportunity of sharing my thoughts on such a precious day of this great human being whose thoughts will remain immortal.

Born on September 5, 1888 to a poor Telugu family that resided at Thiruttani and who lived a life of 86 years that was marked by knowledge, discipline, philosophy, interpretations and acclaims. When he breathed his last on April 17, 1975; our nation suffered an irreversible loss.

“Spiritual life is the genius of India”, he had said once. Being an educationist himself, he was endlessly inspired by this Indian prowess. He therefore went ahead to publish his works, with titles like: The Hindu View of Life | An Idealist View of Life | Eastern Religions and Western Thought | Religion and Society | The Dhammapada | The Principal Upanishads | Recovery of Faith | A Source Book in Indian Philosophy

It was Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, who had once expressed - A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science.

Knowledge that we impart through our teaching and knowledge imbibed from books we introduce our students to. In the great visionary’s own words, “Reading a book gives us the habit of solitary reflection and true enjoyment.”

The changes of times are also getting reflected in the Guru-Sheeshya relationship. Today teachers and students have become partners in the journey of knowledge. The new generation is spending more time on the Internet and is aspiring to self-learn everything even before he begins a morning in a school. But does that make us teachers less significant? It is not a question but a thought that finds its true calling in Dr. Radhakrishnan’s discourse “Knowledge gives us power, love gives us fullness”. Other tools of communication might be an add-on to the process of acquiring knowledge. But the love that we shower on our students makes them remember us forever.

So let us come together on this Teacher’s Day to gift our students and ourselves a future of better education, genuine thoughts and honest conduct. Let us dream a tomorrow to be treasured for centuries because we are a democratic nation, so beautifully described by Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan – “Democracy is a faith in the spiritual possibilities of not a privileged few but of every human being.”

Let us adopt a Human Approach again to educate, to inculcate and to inspire the future of us.

Thank You.

-vociferous