The touch of a 'Guru'💞💞

Many years back I was discussing general issues with Vepa Rao Sir, our Journalism teacher in Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla..Sir asked me about my kids. I told him they were quite sincere and respectful. I casually remarked. "But my son is over punctual. He always reaches school half an hour before it starts. Sometimes we call him time nonsense as he is always an odd man out so far as time discipline is concerned and it gets irritating at times," I said, adding, "he is like my father sir. He also has to reach before time everywhere."😊😊

Vepa Sir snubbed me instantly for this.." I am also very punctual. One has to be..You must encourage your son for his time sense. It is not nonsense. People are losing out on discipline. If he is sticking to it, you should be happy. We must motivate anyone in society for good habits and gestures."

He was so right, I realised much later.😊😊

I think rarely your teachers step out of class room teaching. But I was fortunate enough to have a teacher like Vepa Sir, who believed in teaching about life beyond the classroom. I still remember, he took all the students to Ashiana restaurant ( that he liked the most) on the Ridge in Shimla after journalism classes ( I was batch 1991-92 of Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication) in the University campus and would teach us over 'chai pakora' as to how to manage once we get into the journalism profession with the finest details. He called it ' Ashiana School of Journalism'.

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"Step out of the comfort zone if you want to grow. Go out. Learn to sustain in the odds."

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He was fond of interaction with students in Ashiana and he was one of those, who always looked for placement of his students in the newspaper organisations, did their handholding till they could independently handle the professional challenges.

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I remember, how we broke the discipline during our journalism training in the leading newspapers in Delhi, where he used to accompany his students to make them at ease in a new environment.

We were a group of three four classmates going to one organisation for training in news reporting..We were non serious and would go around watching movies and other entertainment, bunking the training off and on..Then came the day..I had to go back early from training and I told Vepa Sir about it..He called up the editor for a training certificate. And the reply was, " Which certificate? Ask your students, did they attend the training". Sir was shocked and blasted us. He somehow managed certificates for us, but was upset. " I have never seen 'nikamme ' students like you". But this did not mean he stopped helping us.. He was very much there for us the whole of his life and ultimately took pride in our professional approach.

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My association with him was close because I stayed with him at Chandigarh when I had none to look to during my first job with The Indian Express in 1994, and then in Shimla, when I joined Hindustan Times in the year 2000. 🩷🩷

He called me ' Archi Man' for he always appreciated my energy and leg work as a journalist and never forgot to call me whenever he liked a news story by me. We had sessions and sessions of gossip in Ashiana over 'Chai Pakora'. Especially when I was Bureau Chief with The Statesman, the newspaper, he got me into, having had a long association with this oldest English news daily of India.

I was one of those students who even argued with him if there was a difference of opinion on issues. And he listened.

💕💕 Sometimes he got irritated, but then he was the same again in no time...as he always wanted to be with students.💕💕

Vepa Sir passed away in his mid 70s in October 2022, but the life tips he gave me all through still echo in my ears and his lessons helped me sail through the odds with grace. He was a real 'Guru', a friendly teacher, who walked side by side as we grew in the profession. He not only gave new meaning to journalism teaching, but also to our lives with his persistent touch.

My tributes to him on Guru Purnima.💞💞

By Archana Phull