Gurus who never cease to inspire

INDIA’s second President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, always regarded himself as a teacher. His life was a testament to the enduring values of knowledge, truth and character.

The guru has taken many forms in my life. My wife and I are privileged to have met remarkable people who embodied the essence of teaching — not only through words, but by the example of their lives. In 2008, at the silver jubilee function of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, the ‘Missile Man of India,’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, told students: “Education is the most powerful tool to develop a great citizen and a great nation.” His dream-driven philosophy will continue to inspire generations. His demise in 2015, soon after expressing his wish to revisit our school, left behind a poignant silence and a blazing legacy of inspiration.

In 2010, I travelled to Santiniketan, where Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore created an educational vision far ahead of its time. Established in 1901 in the Gurukul tradition, Santiniketan grew into Visva-Bharati University in 1921, symbolising universalism, humanism and cultural exchange. I also visited the Rabindra Bhavan Museum, where Tagore’s manuscripts, letters and paintings are preserved. To quote Tagore, “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”

Among my most cherished memories is a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1944 at Sodepur Ashram near Calcutta. I was just a child, and the experience left a lasting impression on me. In 2016, during our annual Rotary Retreat at Ahmedabad, my wife and I visited Sabarmati Ashram, where one could almost feel the Mahatma’s presence. The ashram has preserved Gandhiji’s spectacles, walking stick, sandals, utensils, spinning wheel, writing desk, letters and documents, along with photographs and manuscripts related to the freedom movement. It is truly a living classroom of satyagraha, truth and simplicity.

During our visit to South Africa in 2017, my wife and I went to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. We saw the tiny, dark cell where he spent 18 years, with no visitors allowed except once for 30 minutes in a whole year. We took a tour of the Robben Island Museum and saw the Lime Quarry, the church which the prisoners visited every Sunday, the courtyard and the small garden tended by Mandela. His words still resound across the globe: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

These experiences have reinforced a truth that transcends time: teachers are not confined to classrooms. They are present wherever values, courage and knowledge are shared.

Teachers’ Day is, therefore, more than a tribute to individuals. It is a celebration of the eternal spirit of the guru. Let’s remember these lines which compare the guru with the divine trinity: “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara; Guru Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.”