Today is Teachers’ Day.  On the eve of  special day for teachers who continue to shape men and women with character, some of Bangalore’s famous persons spoke to Deccan Herald on their most cherished associations with their teachers. And how they inspired to be better people and professionals.

“The teacher who inspired me the most was Prof S K Ramachandra Rao, who taught me Psychology, when I was doing my diploma in Medical and Social Psychology (presently called M. Phil) at Nimhans. He was indeed a model of how a teacher should be.

His knowledge in the subject was extraordinary and he had a special gift in communication skills.  I’ve tried to follow him through out my teaching career and he inspires me even now. Prof Rao taught us to realise that any issue or event is multi-faceted and can be approached from different angles. ‘Knowledge is one and we have separated them,’ he used to tell us”.
 
— Dr M S Thimmappa, former vice-chancellor, Bangalore University

Though many teachers have taught me significant things in life, I consider my father late Justice K S Hegde my best teacher. I remember, when I was appointed the Advocate General of Karnataka in 1984, I was thrilled and immediately called my parents, who after my father’s retirement, had settled in our village Nitte near Karkala.

My father  advised me not to carry the chair in my head, and reminded me that I’ll have to vacate it one day. When Mr Ramakrishna Hegde resigned as Chief Minister in 1988, I also put in my paper as Advocate General, much before the new CM could ask me. I always have it in mind that I have to perform well. I’ve worked hard to prove that I deserve the office I hold. I don’t have a pre-determined opinion that I know everything.”

— Lokayukta Justice Santosh N Hegde

 “I had two teachers who inspired me: Yoganarasimhan and Richard Hoggart. The former was my high school teacher in Theerthahalli and the latter, my teacher, while I was studying in England. Yoganarasimhan was a musician, composer and Sanskrit scholar. He would translate Nehru’s speeches, Gandhi’s autobiography into Kannada and read it out for us.

He was the one who made me take up adult literacy campaigns in my village, when I was barely 14. Another teacher, Richard Hoggart, author of the classic The Uses of Literacy, was a great socialist and a fearless man. He gave a new direction to my life.”

— Prof U R Ananthamurthy, Litterateur

“I’m what  today is because of my elementary school teacher C Krishnamurthy.  I did my schooling in Goddamayapalli, a small village in Andhra Pradesh. After passing my 5th standard, my father said he could not afford to send me to school.

I lost one year. On rejoining the school, my teacher Krishnamurthy realised that I had wasted one year and started giving me extra training... he asked  me to take a test and promoted me directly to seventh standard. A simple but, indeed, a great man. In fact, he inspired me to become a teacher”.

— K Balaveera Reddy, former vice-chancellor, Visvesvaraya
Technological University

“Many teachers have played a pivotal role in shaping my persona. One such teacher whom I remember every day is Anantha Padmanabha. He was the Head Master at higher primary school located in Hariharapura, Holenarasipura taluk.  He had a love for his profession and children”.

— Dr S Subramanya, Commissioner, BBMP