Birth anniversary of a philosopher-teacher
On September 5, 1962, the country celebrated the Teachers’ Day for the first time to mark the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, then the incumbent President of India. The renowned scholar, philosopher and teacher had assumed office as the second President of India in May that year and his students and friends, whose lives he had touched, wanted to honour him. However, Dr Radhakrishnan, who turned 74 that year, said, “Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day.”
His bond with students is cited as a shining example of respect and affection for teachers. In 1921, Dr Radhakrishnan was appointed to the most important philosophy chair in India, King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta. At that time, he was Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Maharaja’s College, University of Mysore. One of his students, Prof Yamnunacharya, recalled that students paid him an emotional tribute when their beloved teacher left. “Students pulled the chariot-like carriage he was seated into till the railway station. They were shouting ‘Jai ho Radhakrishnan’ full-throated. The students and their beloved teacher both were teary-eyed when the train was about to leave,” he wrote in the Maharaja’s College Centenary Volume (1951).
This Telugu-speaking man from a humble family from Tirutani, 40 miles from Chennai (then Madras), went on to become one of the most admired statesmen in the world. The first Indian to hold a Chair at the University of Oxford (1936-1952), Dr Radhakrishnan served as the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics. From playing a stellar role in helping PM Jawaharlal Nehru build the Non-Aligned Movement to establishing a rapport with Stalin when he served as India’s second Ambassador to the Soviet Union to an honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963, Dr Radhakrishnan wore a many-feathered cap.
Known for his ability to present complex philosophical ideas in an accessible manner, he became a bridge between the East and the West, an interpreter and defender of Indian philosophy at the international stage. His works like ‘The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore’, ‘An Idealist View of Life’ and ‘Indian Philosophy’ are considered seminal in the study of Indian thought. Between 1933 and 1966, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature 16 times, and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Presiding over Rajya Sabha sessions as India’s first Vice-President, he would often quote Sanskrit shlokas and passages from the Bible to quell many a heated debate.
In his memoirs ‘Yesterday and Today’, KPS Menon, who succeeded Dr Radhakrishnan as the Ambassador to USSR, calls him the most unconventional diplomat to have served in Moscow.
“By 10 pm, Dr Radhakrishnan would begin to be impatient; as a sign of his impatience, he would begin tapping the table; then he would hum a shloka from the Gita and finally he would rise and go up to the host, protocol or no protocol, and take leave of him. And his colleagues would nudge one another and say, ‘There goes the philosopher!’”
His schooling and college career in Christian missionary institutions made him acutely aware of the criticism of Hinduism. In his autobiography ‘My Search for Truth’, he shared the deep hurt he felt at the criticism of Hindu beliefs and practices, which impelled him to study Hinduism, besides other religions.
Emphasising that true education was beyond classrooms, he advocated for students’ all-round development. In his own words, “The end-product of education should be a free, creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature.”
The holistic theory of education of this Bharat Ratna recipient would remain relevant forever.
