TEACHERS’ DAY SPECIAL

Iqbal Shawl.

This momentous day, I recall a personal recent experience to share with my colleagues in teaching profession to raise their confidence and interest .

Personally I abstain from going out to the markets, offices and other places of exposure unless it becomes unavoidable and there is nobody around to substitute me.

In last week of Feb 2018, I had to visit Court Complex Rajouri for attestation of an affedevit from the Honbl’e Judge. Not knowing which Court to visit, I entered the complex planning to ask somebody’s help.

No sooner had I entered the main gate,an advocate saw me and rushed to receive me. To my satisfaction and mental ease, he introduced himself as one of my students and expressed happiness to have got an opportunity to help me.

The affedevit was prepared and the advocate went into the Court room upstairs, seating me in his chair.

The Honbl’e Judge was busy in the proceedings of a case but the advocate, considering my presence and habits, placed the affedevit before the Honbl’e Judge , who after consideting the urgency of the matter asked him to produce the client( me) during the proceedings.

The advocate signalled me to come upstairs for personal appearance before the Honbl’e Judge.

As I stepped inside the court room , I saw that the room was jam packed and the Honbl’e Judge was busy in files of the case. I got embarrassed for having entered during the proceedings of a seemingly important case under trial.

I wanted to step out to wait till the proceedings ended but meantime the honbl’e Judge looked up to see me. Instantly , the honbl’e judge stood up in his chair, raised his hand high and loudly said” Stop for a while, we have a teacher in the court” . There was a pin drop silence. Nobody spoke. All eyes turned on me. I grew more embarrassed.

The honbl’e Judge came out of his chair, held my hand and offered me a seat. Turning to the contesting lawyers he said ” Do you know him?” They all replied ” Yes sir, we know him” .

The honbl’e Judge said” No, you may be knowing him by his name…. but he is a teacher”. He had stressed the word ‘ teacher’ so emphetically that I started feeling weakened for my inabilities.

I was engrossed in my own thoughts and didn’t even venture to know who the honbl’e judge was? or to establish my aqauiantances with him.

The affedevit was attested and the honbl’e Judge insisted upon sharing a cup of tea with me. But, considering the halted proceedings of the case I begged appologies and promised to visit some other time.

Thr honbl’e Judge said good bye to me at the Court room door. I came out burdened with mixed emotions of happiness and pride on being a teacher and my shortcomings in the class room where I was considered master at realm of knowledge .

I had read that in the west teachers were the most respectable persons even in the Courts but here, the same was happening to a teacher. Respect, sympathies, appreciations- all being showered upon a teacher so generously.

I realised that a teacher is supremely respectable for the society, the parents and more importantly for the students if he does justice with the generations and respects himself.

FEEL PROUD TO BE A TEACHER.