A teacher does not merely teach and research. She can make or ignore a student. Her role goes beyond her presence as a knowledge and skill giver. She is a friend, confidante, counsellor, and even a saviour.
As I think of Teachers’ Day falling on September 5, a conversation I had with teachers in a Pune college springs to my mind. They said a girl they had once counselled was now a doctor, bringing pride to them and her parents. When she was 16, her parents pulled her out of the college because they wanted to marry her off “before she became too ambitious”.
On hearing of the sad incident, the teachers visited her home and spoke to them. They told the parents that she was a brilliant student and should be allowed to finish her studies. “You can’t marry her off before she is 18. What will she do idling at home till then?”
