Sketch of a Teacher (Professor Rizwan Qaiser): II

On 6th May 2021 this blogger, along with 2 former batchmates (Mr. Jitendra Singh and Ms. Sabira Fatimi), organized a condolence meet on Zoom in honor of Professor Rizwan Qaiser, for the benefit of MA Batch (2015-17). These are the excerpts of what he spoke in the meet -

This image of Sir was clicked by one of my batchmates at the Stupa of Sanchi.

‘Sketch of a Teacher’

M S Dhoni once said that he preferred cricketers coming from small towns as they understand the concept of struggle and because they understand the concept of a struggle, they can fight the odds better.

Now while he was saying that for cricketers, I would like to add and say because that individual has seen the struggle, he would not want his children to face the same.

And, that was what Rizwan Sir’s students were, his children.

In an era when some teachers are in the education world to either earn money or have tunnel vision vis a vis their research, Rizwan Sir was one of those teachers who cared for his students while they were in college and cared for them when they were out of it.

In ancient times, the teacher (or the guru) was a father figure. Professor Rizwan Qaiser was one such father figure, a fast reducing class in the contemporary era where some educationists are fast forgetting that concept.

How he would combine his theoretical lectures with real-life examples was incredible. It made sure that we would associate Modern Indian History with our daily lives.

I got my knowledge about Mahatma Gandhi from Rizwan Sir. The Gandhian Concepts of Satyagraha, Ahimsa, Antyodaya were explained and discussed threadbare in the class.

We keep saying that the lamp of Gandhian values has to be kept lit so that the future generations do not forget the philosophy of the Mahatma. That can only be possible if the teachers have a deep understanding of the subject so that they can explain it to future generations in an ‘interesting’ manner. It is essential for the teachers to ‘impress upon the students' that Gandhiji’s vision of Ahimsa, non-violence, and Antyodaya can ‘never’ get outdated.

With the passing of Professor Rizwan, such efforts have been dealt a blow. Yet, we can take solace from the hope that his students will take up the responsibility of explaining Gandhian Principles to future generations and also stand by them. That would ensure that the Gandhian ideology lives on, especially in trying times like now, and in trying times that could come in the future.

May his Soul Rest in Peace.

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(This is the second article in a two part series. You can click this link to go to the first article.)