Bhagawan, The Village Teacher Who Made A Difference
That is how it was: a single lamp being lit and darkness getting melted. Amid unending reports of teachers misbehaving with girl students, breezed in the heartening tale of G. Bhagawan. Bhagawan, who? A 28-year-old English teacher of Veliagaram (Tiruvallur dist ) Government school who was transferred to another school in Tiruttani, about 40 km away from Veliagaram. A heart touching visual of Bhagawan breaking down, and students hugging, crying, trying to prevent his transfer went viral last week. Parents of the students, mostly illiterates, even approached the local MLA to try and stop the transfer. Academic activities were disrupted in the school for two days after the incident. “For the students, he was everything,”said one of Bhagawan’s colleagues. “Committed” was the word for Bhagawan from Aravind, the Headmaster. Introducing new and innovative teaching methods to students in the last 4 years that Bhagawan has been there, the rural school scored 82% pass in last year’s SSLC exam. “I used to narrate stories, understand their family background, talk to them about their future”, explains Bhagavan. “He is familiar with most parents too. Young and a bachelor, he could afford to spend a lot of time with students even after class hours,” said another teacher. On occasions when tragedy visited the family of any student, Bhagawan assumed the role of an elder brother and tried to assuage the feelings of the family members. Of course, the presence of the good-natured master ensured bountiful mirth and laughter all around during the festivals. So, for each student Bhagwan was the only man to show them the path leading to their dreams and aspirations. Quite often students would pour out their heart, reposing confidence in him, while sharing their hopes and fears. That explains why the students could successfully prevent at least for now the transfer of their adored teacher. That the growing generation is all ears for words of care and concern is the gentle hint we need to take note of.
Acharya Shri Ramanuja was the pioneering RTI activist, says CIC
Sridhar Acharyulu, Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission, hit the nail on the head when he observed in Chennai that Acharya Shri Ramanuja, the exponent of Vishitadvaita should be looked upon as the pioneering RTI activist. Shri Ramanuja had the salvation of all in mind when, 1000 years back, he broadcast a secret mantra that he had received from his Guru. Sridhar Acharyulu was addressing a workshop organised by RTI warriors from the All India Professionals Congress (AIPC) in Chennai. Highlighting the features of the RTI Act 2005, Sridhar said it was the Congress government that introduced the Act, but it was the Bharatiya Janata Party that had used it effectively. “Information procured through the RTI Act exposed scandals across various levels in the functioning of the State before the elections,” he said. Strongly advocating the need for political parties to willingly come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005, he pointed out that parties in power must be answerable to the people. 62 year-old Sridhar has authored 28 books on law and journalism, in English and Telugu, including 4 on the Right to Information Act. He was appointed as Central Information Commissioner in 2013.
Society Cared For Them. They Too Would Care For Society
S Ponniammal and G. Jayalashmi. They both passed in I class and are B.com and B.Sc (physics) graduates respectively It happened last week. These young ladies grew all along in an anbu illam (Orphanage) in Chennai run by Swayamsevaks. Today they are proud degree holders of Bharatidasan University, Thiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu. Now they can look forward to a successful life. Of course, they wish to be useful to the society which cared so much for them all these years, observed Shri Durai Sankar, Trustee of the orphanage. In another instance, five female inmates of another anbu illam in Nagapattinam also run by Swayamsevaks are a happy lot. They too received their degrees last week.
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