Thank you, teachers, for defining the course of my life

5th of September is celebrated as Teachers Day in India, and as I was a Faculty Member of two Training Establishment for a few years, and Mentor and Coach many students and entrepreneurs, I too get a few Thank You messages.

At the age of 63, I don't want to pass this opportunity to express my gratitude to those who have helped in my life's journey.

First, Sambasiva Rao, our Hind teacher in The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet (incidentally the younger brother of Telugu Cinema legend, ANR) not the favorite of students, but loved me for reasons I still don't have a clue about.

My English Teacher, Lalita Christian who made me a prompter for the school's annual play which in that year was Charlie's Aunt. The HPS Annual plays used to be much awaited and sold-out tickets and jam-packed audience.

Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet was one unique place (and I hope it still that way) where a student is never discriminated on grades. Otherwise, average students like me would have remained just ordinary people. And the variety of offerings it had beyond studies was unmatched. It is therefore no wonder that in the present Lok Sabha, we have two MPs from my class, and other notable classmates were Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and former CM of AP, Kiran Kumar Reddy.

At NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development a guru for me was the then Principal of the Staff College, Lucknow, VS Bhadauria, who when the ED Balakrishnan appreciated my work on the study of Potential for MSMEs in Kanpur Dehat, in childlike exuberance, celebrated my achievement with the cutting of a cake even while I was not around.

Cannot but express my gratitude to Principal R Krishnamurty, who when Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked for a faculty to be deputed to College of Agricultural Banking, Pune, picked me out of the so many that were in contention. That posting was life transformative for me.

Finally, the Principal of College of Agricultural Banking, HR Khan, whose hospitality, love and care cannot be expressed in words. From designing innovative programmes and conferences to travel abroad, he provided infinite opportunities for teaching and research.

What is common among the learnings from all these great gurus was the recognition that promotions at work, designations and money is not all that is in life. Be a wonderful human being and the world will adore you. Something that all the wealth and worldly fame may not be able to provide.

Have a Wonderful Teachers Day!