Guwahati: From giving us a purpose to set us up as successful citizens of the world, teachers inspire in us a drive to do well and succeed in life and to recognise this hard work of our mentors and gurus, Teachers’ Day or Shikshak Divas is celebrated in India with great pomp and show. World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5, but every country celebrates the day on different dates.
In India, it is marked on the birthday of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan who was the first Vice President of India (1952–1962) and also a highly-respected teacher, philosopher and prolific statesman. Dr. Radhakrishnan went on to become the second President of India (1962-1967) and was of the opinion that “teachers should be the best minds in the country.”
Date:
In India, Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually on September 5 to mark the birthday of the country’s former President, scholar, philosopher and Bharat Ratna awardee, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on this day in 1888.
History and significance:
When Dr. Radhakrishan took the office of the second President of India in 1962, his students approached him to seek permission to celebrate September 5 as a special day. Dr. Radhakrishnan instead made a request of them to observe September 5 as Teachers’ Day, to recognise the contribution of teachers to society.
Ever since then, September 5 is celebrated as Teacher’s Day across schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions. Students put on performances, dances and host elaborate shows for their most-loved teachers.
Celebrations:
For school students, the day means getting roses, chocolates, gifts including handmade cards to profess their affection for their favourite teachers. For senior students, Teacher’s Day is one of role reversal and celebration.
Last year, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the schools and colleges were shut and the annual celebrations at schools were replaced with virtual ones. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a threat of Delta variant spreading, many schools continue to operate their online classes.
Hence, virtual wishes and greetings are a perfect way to tell your teachers you love and cherish them, even if you are no longer a school-college-going student. This is because teachers are the bedrock upon which any quality education is built and they are perhaps the few people in our lives who rejoice when we, their students, outdo them.
