Teachers - the backbone of any progressive society ..

This is an interesting episode : (from a real life incident)

1994 INDIAN President Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma visited Muscat on official trip - when AI flight landed  3 rare incidents happened  

1. Oman King never visits airport to receive dignitaries of any country - never . But the Oman king came to airport to receive the Indian President.

2. When the flight landed the Oman King climbed up the steps and received the President from his seat.

3 . After alighting the flight there was a car with a Chauffeur standing . But the King signed the driver to move and he himself drove the car with  President  to the hotel suite.

Later when the reporters questioned the King why he broke so many protocols, the King replied " I did not go to the airport to receive Mr. Sharma because he was India's President. I studied in India and learnt so many things, when I was studying in PUNE". 

"Mr. Sharma was my Professor - that is why I did this " !

That is the power of being a teacher !!  (From the Internet..)

🙏🙏

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This real life incident is being highlighted to bring to the fore the fact how cultures that have treated teachers with great respect and adoration have generally grown and prospered, than cultures that haven't. In this case, the King of Oman is reminding (referring to the values and knowledge) what he has in life, was acquired in India.

As per Indian culture and belief, the order for reverence in society is like this !

Maatha, pitha, guru, daivam !

India could not have controlled

Let us understand that Hindu culture and beliefs are almost double the age and experience of Christianity or other major religions of the world. Till 1700 AD societal justice, peace, well-being in communities saw India, the mother of all civilizations, controlling 40% of global GDP .. The middle-east, now the hotbed of maximum violence, grief, destruction and devastation, where Judaism, Islam and Christianity originated, barely controlled 2-3% of global GDP then and continues to do so even today.  

Thanks to the British who enslaved and looted India for two hundred years, ensured that we slide down to control just 2% of global GDP by 1947 when using the most potent weapon of non-violence India wrestled itself out of British cruel hands. (Click here for Shashi Tharoor interview "How British colonialism destroyed India" and another excellent one here )

Can such economic prosperity for South Asia (India) come unless the traditions, beliefs and value systems practiced by the people inhabiting the land is impeccable and of such superior mettle ?

As per Indian beliefs and culture, the mother gives birth and brings a child to this earth, takes care till the child is of age, then the father introduces the child to the outside world. Thereafter, in the outside world, the child grows of age and maturity and needs to understand the world around him.

Here comes the guru or teacher who handholds the child to acquire knowledge and wisdom to understand the Universe, its events and happenings. In the process the child tried to understand the unknown force guiding the Universe which we perceive to be God or daivam !

The teacher or guru, thus has a very important role to play in forming the value systems, knowledge and understanding of a fully responsible, intelligent individual in society ..

Perhaps it was this realisation that made the King of Oman, treat his Professor with great respect, much more respectfully than if he were welcoming a simple Head of a Nation !

A teacher plays such an influential role in society in framing the country's future and in the process ensuring a great future for mankind, all living beings and mother nature ! 👍

George ..