For These Odisha Teachers, Teaching Is Above Everything

Bhubaneswar: Irrespective of countries, cultures and generations, teachers hold a special position for the students. A student hardly forgets his teachers’ teachings, advices and guidance during the successes and failures of his life. The imprints on mind during the formative years are never erasable.

As the country celebrates the Teachers’ Day on Sunday to mark the birthday of former President, scholar and philosopher Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, here are some teachers of Odisha who have defied all adversities to carry out their duty – to teach.

Age No Bar

It may sound unbelievable for many, but Nanda Prasty of Bartanda village in Jajpur district has been teaching in the shade of a tree for the last 75 years. He has not taken any fee from any student. He has also turned down the offer of the local sarpanch to avail government assistance.

“I started teaching when I found that many people in our village were illiterate and were not even able to sign their names. I now teach the great grandchildren of the students of my first batch,” said the teacher.

Blindness No Handicap

Bhaskar Mallick of Nua Sahi village in Bhadrak district was a brilliant student and studying in final year of Plus III Commerce in the BJB College in Bhubaneswar when he lost his eyesight completely. He returned to his village and started teaching the children. What started as a part-time occupation has become a passion for Bhaskar who has been teaching for more than 15 years. Many of his students, who have excelled in their lives, remain grateful to Bhaskar Sir.

Holiday No Rest

Government teacher Trilochan Mahapatra of Loisinga in Balangir is an example of dedication to duty. The Hindi teacher retired from his job after teaching for 34 years without taking a single day’s leave.

“I didn’t take a single day’s leave since I joined the school in 1987. Even on holidays, I used to take care of the plants in the school,” Mahapatra said. He is also credited with changing the perception of the school from one of “slow learners” from underprivileged families to good academic results.

Retirement No Stop

For retired teacher Niranjan Sahoo of Tangara village in Keonjhar district, education is not confined to academics and books. One can learn so much from environment and be an ideal human being, he believes and practises.

When in service, he used to carry out plantation drive around the village and school campus and encourage the students to participate in it. After retirement also, he continues to do it. He has also been promoting yoga among the students as well as villagers. “When I was studying in school, Niranjan Sir used to teach us to keep the environment clean and safe. Now, I am encouraging my students to do the same,” said a student.

Physical Disability No Challenge

When the entire country was under shutdown due to COVID pandemic and education shifted to online mode, children of remote areas were the most affected. As they were practically out of school for having no costly smart phones and internet connectivity,  teacher Ram Kumar of Sukuma in Chhattisgarh decided to ensure that the students are not deprived of education.

Driving a three-wheeled scooter, he visited villages in Chhattisgarh as well as those across the border in Malkangiri every day to teach the children. Kumar used to devote two hours of teaching to the students of each village on daily basis. Without any fees or incentive from the government, Kumar has been continuing to teach from his own sources till now.

With inputs from sources. Pics: Courtesy Agencies