ABC is no more.

Aboobacker. C., the teacher who helped me discover the English in me, has passed away.  He was in fact our Drawing Teacher. But most of us staying in the hostel knew him more as an English teacher as it was he who laid the foundation for the English skills many of us possess today. He took his MA in English while he was a drawing teacher and gave tuition classes for those of us who were staying in the hostel. I was studying at Farook High School then, staying at Rajah Hostel. I don't know what prompted the authorities then to offer us extra support in improving our English language skills. 'Offer' is not a very good word as in the Rajah Hostel of those days there were no 'offers'. It was all orders. If the warden asks  you to attend English Tuition classes, well, you simply attend. That's it. 

In addition to the Madrassa sessions, the English Tutions were what we had on a regular basis. The sessions were basically English grammar drills, the old school Wren and Martin brand, but I was not aware of any other way of learning grammar in those days. Whatever awareness came my way regarding the same, came more than a decade later. ABC was quite good at his work and was an excellent teacher in the chalk, talk and teach mode. Thousands of exercises were done by us under his learned eyes, addressing multiple aspects of sentence structures and patterns of English language.  It was like 200 grammar exercises on Simple Present Tense or 100 on Active-Passive, another 100 on Passive-Active conversion. Perhaps a thousand ones on Prepositions too! No aspect of English grammar was left untouched in those 4 years. The exercises for sure had its impact as you can see from the English I use to scribble this tribute. Like many good disciples who often falsely feel that they have outgrown their master, I too once asked him, during a night tuition session in the school building, 'Why do you teach the same thing again and again?' He said it was meant for those who were still in the learning process and I didn't have to attend the tuition classes if I didn't need it. I stopped attending the English tuition classes after that. Or that's how I remember it. The irony is it was of course ABC's English which enabled me frame a question like that. Afterwards, as a grown-up, I have always wondered what could have been the thoughts which crossed his mind when I asked him so. I have even wondered whether it was right on my part to have asked thus. It sure was my child-like confidence which made me do so. 

To say that ABC discovered the English in me perhaps is not the right way of putting it as it was he who laid the basics and that was how I knew that I can do it. He didn't discover it, he built it. That's what good teachers do. Yesterday I saw a photo of Dr. Andrews, former professor of English at Farook College in the Onam attire. It rang a bell because ABC once took me to Mr. Andrews' house, the college Quarters where he was staying then, as part of coaching me in English recitation. Andrews Sir played a gramaphone record and ABC made me listen to the intonation pattern of the way the poem was recited. The poem was about a  Captain and had something to do with a ship sinking. I was representing the school in Poetry recitation competition at interschool level and the meeting at Dr. Andrews' place was preparation for the same. ABC also took me to some school level acting and I played King in a play titled 'Barmecide Feast' or something like that. I still recall the daze while facing the huge crowd on a school anniversary day. It was in the night. That was my first and last playacting on a stage.

My passion for language which later made me an English Faculty Member in a college, started with these baby steps. My abiding interest in English language had its beginning then. Of course I didn't really know what exactly was happening while at school as most of us don't. I sure didn't know that ABC was helping me know where I was headed, which direction I should be moving. I did Science at Pre-degree level, started with B Sc Chemistry at Graduate level, but finally completed my B A in English. I moved on to do MA, M Phil and Ph D in English too. 

ABC was surely ahead of his times. He was an original who knew what he wanted and followed his heart. As far as I recall, later, I heard that he turned his house into a Studio when he was bitten by the Photography bug. He decided to passionately explore what he liked. If I recall right, then his interest turned to Classical Dance too and made his 'arangettam' at Guruvayoor. I often wonder howmany of my teachers have been so original and talented in multiple fields. To be honest, as far as I recall, not single one has attempted what ABC did. I think I came over a news report which spoke about his 'arangettam' with a photo of him dressed for the classical dance. From Drawing to English to Photography to Classical dance! At a time when almost everyone stuck to the ruts they have fallen into, whether by choice, chance or force, ABC did what he wanted,  switching career interests and enjoying what he was doing, caring little about what the world thought of his choices and changes. 

I wonder what it is I should respect him more for: for being the good teacher he was, sowing in me the seeds of what I am today or for being an original who followed his heart and  enjoyed his passions on his own terms! 

My tributes  to a good teacher and an original human being! 

Dr. Babu. P. K, Principal, Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Kizhattoor, Perinthalmanna