Teacher's Day: 'I owe my success to him'

We had invited you, our readers, to write about your favourite teachers and we've been inundated with your responses. Here's the latest set of entries we received from you:

First up, we have this response from Niken M Jobanputra who talks about the teachers who’ve been responsible for helping him succeed in life:

All my teachers made me realise my dream of being a well-educated person.

Coming from a business family where no one had seen college, studies were a challenge right from the first day.

My parents could not help me much like my other friends' educated parents did.

But they made it up by sending me to the best of tuition teachers, who along with my school teachers ensured that I fulfilled my father's dream of completing my graduation.

Today I am a qualified chartered accountant and I would like to thank all those teachers who motivated me to achieve the best.

I still remember my pre-school and pre-primary teachers teaching me basic etiquette.

I remember my primary school teachers who'd hit me with their knuckles to ensure that I cleared my first board exams in class IV with flying colours.

However, the tears of joy that flowed while I received my result on the hospital bed washed away all the pains.

I’d like to thank all my primary teachers for ensuring that I had a great start in academics.

My teachers in the secondary school realised my weakness in Mathematics very early and ensured that it eventually became my strength in the board exam.

Sadly it let me down after getting highest marks in prelims.

But this motivated me further to take up mathematics as one of the subjects in college and achieve great marks in all future exams including professional entrance exams.

Thanks to my teachers I became a successful Chartered Accountant.

Today I am happy that due to the efforts of all those teachers including my parents who were my first teachers, I am a post-graduate and my son is not handicapped in his studies as I used to be.

Thank you dear teachers and parents for helping me achieve my dreams.

Next, we have Jai Ghosh writing about his teacher Late Dr Arvind D Agate:

My teacher, Dr Arvind D Agate passed away recently. 

Our association goes all the way back to 1975 when I was a student in Abasaheb Garware College, Pune.

He introduced me to microbiology. 

He taught me the role of microbes in mineralisation and demineralisation of minerals.

Our lab at that time was working on two important minerals -- copper and manganese.

Today, even at 55, the research methodologies he taught us have held me in good stead.

I have researched many aspects of microbiology and also have two PhD students who have been awarded their degrees.

Their works have been published in reputed international journals.

During my PhD (from 1979 to 1983) I was awarded the CSIR fellowship (first JRF and soon followed by SRF) and have concentrated on the fate of low grade ores which the miners dump on land, least realising the harmful ecotoxic effects on the biodiversity of the environment.

Dr Agate has always encouraged me and has been a source of inspiration right from the beginning. I owe my success to him.

His passing away has made me an orphan, since I cannot share my work so closely with anybody other than him.

I only pray that may God grant peace to his departed soul and give strength to his family (especially his wife) to carry on with their lives.

Reader Invite

Do you have a favourite teacher? Tell us why he or she was special, and share your special story about your teacher with us. It can be an anecdote or a dedication. Or maybe an interesting, sentimental story.

Simply write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'To My Teacher, with love') with your experience and, if possible, a photograph of your teacher and you. We'll be publishing the best entries right here on rediff.com!

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We also received this response from Hiranmayee Singru who is currently studying in Class V at Mount Litera Zee School, Vasco da Gama, Goa:

I like Sophie ma'am who taught me in Standard I. She was my first class teacher.

I'd rather call her a mother than a teacher.

I remember a few incidents with her, like for instance, every time I had a stomach ache, she used to take me in her lap and comfort me.

When I suffered from dog bite and would cry in pain, she used to caress and console me.

She nurtured me and acted like a mother. This is the reason I like Sophie ma'am.

I am attaching a photo with her. I wish her Happy Teachers Day.

Finally, we have Jayashree Jaydeep Kokitkar telling us what she likes the most about her favourite teacher and mentor GS Vaidya:

I met GS Vaidya on my first job. He was an account consultant and I was an accountant. 

After completing my masters in commerce, it was he who taught me the ABC of accounting.

Before meeting Vaidya Sir I was scared to attend any interview.

Not any more; because I have faith in myself. 

Vaidya Sir never gets angry, never harasses any one. To date, he has never punished me.

Whenever I made a mistake he’d give me another chance to make it better.

He used to give me as many chances as I wanted till I eventually gave out my best, just like a mother would.

Vaidya Sir was like a father to me and would also guide me in decisions related to my personal life.

I was lucky to get a teacher like him. I feel blessed to have learned under him.

Besides accounting, he also taught me the value of working hard and earning a good reputation.

I was lucky to get a good and caring husband who allowed me to continue in my career.

Vaidya Sir taught me the value of honesty and hard work.

From him, I learned that if you choose to be honest, you’ll have to work for longer period but your success will stay with you for life, but if you choose to lie or commit a fraud, god will not bless you.