Panjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana is not only my alma mater but I also worked there as a professor for a long time. While performing my duties as a teacher, I learned an important lesson from a problem-student. In every school/college we find students of all shades. Some students are more interested in creating problems for themselves, their teachers, and the management than studying their courses. I was a senior teacher, therefore, one such group PP (those involved in serious problems) was assigned to me.
I found that the correct way to help students was to learn about their family and friends. Accordingly, I always recorded the family details of the students in my tutorial group. This helped me improve relations with the students and their parents. Consequently, I informed the parents regarding undesirable behavior of their children. I am pleased that I was able to help many students build their careers and also save some of them from ruining their lives.
Once the following dialogue took place between me and a student. I would like to share it with the readers.
Teacher: What is your name please?
Student: Mr. A*, son of S.P. (Superintendent Police, the senior most officer of Police in a district. He is virtually the lord of the people in the district).
Teacher: The name of your father?
Student: Mr. B*, S.P.
Teacher: Please give me his address?
Student: S.P., district C*.
(*Actual names are withheld because of obvious reasons).
When I heard the word S.P. for the third time, my eyes closed and I forgot that about a dozen students were sitting in front of me in my office. An emotional message was delivered to me in a flash as if it had been recorded in my brain sometime earlier.
"Look ! this boy is bubbling with the feelings of being the son of a police officer, who may or may not be an honest person. Why are you not proud to feel that you are the son of Guru Gobind Singh? He was a unique 'father', king of kings; he sacrificed his whole family for defending the human rights of the weak. Can you think of any other person who did so much for the people?"
It was Saturday, and the last period of the day. When the tutorial period was over and the students left, I sent a message home, "I will not be coming home tonight, I am going out for this weekend." I took an evening train to Amritsar. Next day, I appeared before the Panj Pyaras at the Akal Takht. I took Amrit and became a Kirpan wearing Sikh, and I am pleased to wear it over my shirt even today. May God bless me and give me strength to live like that till my death, so that I may enjoy being a son of Guru Gobind Singh till my last breath.
I must add here similar feelings of another Englishman. Mr. Cliff R. Huthins who had adopted the Sikh faith. When someone asked him why he had to wear long hair to practice the Sikh philosophy of life, he answered, "Is it not enough that people call me the son of Guru Gobind Singh just because I wear the five kakaars?"
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