𝗔𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

On Teacher’s Day, our member Mr B. Bhattacharya remembers his favourite teacher from school.
In my childhood, our teachers were role models, and on Teacher’s Day I wish to pay homage to Mr Mathuresh Chandra Bhattacharya, my headmaster at Baranagar Rameshwar High School. Mr Bhattacharya was a strong-willed and polite administrator and an exemplary human being who commanded respect from all quarters. His clean-cut appearance and manner of dressing bespoke his position and stature. He would inspire us on a regular basis, through the ways in which he treated his students and through his sense of justice and ideas of morality. We would be in awe of his mannerisms, right down to the way he would walk and talk. In addition to his administrative duties, he used to teach English to the kids in class VI and X.
Mr Bhattacharya had an uncannily sharp memory—he remembered the timetables of each class and knew the teaching roster by heart. What Mr Bhattacharya practiced in his own life he passed on to us. He always emphasised the importance of memorising whatever we read.
For him, the key to growth was a strong memory. I applied his advice in my life and have reaped its benefits. Even today, I can recite from memory the numerous passages and poems he taught us. When Mr Bhattacharya passed away, all of Baranagar was present at the cremation grounds. I consider myself unfortunate that I was not in town that day. Had I been at home that day I would surely have been among the multitudes who went to pay their respects.
Over the course of my life, I have seen two absolute gentlemen: my father Hrishikesh Bhattacharya, who was a Sanskrit scholar, and my school headmaster Mr Bhattacharya. Even today I think of Mr Bhattacharya with gratitude and often speak to my wife about him. On Teacher’s Day, I hope for more such inspirational figures to appear and mould the young minds of today.