Dr. Bhat – My English Teacher

My schooling was in a Malayalam medium government school.  So, when I completed my school and joined the college for Pre-Degree (equivalent to ‘Plus Two’), I was very weak in English.  I realised that if I did not improve my English communication, it would be difficult for me to grow in my career.  Though English was taught in the college, I was finding it difficult as I did not have the basic understanding.  My classmates who came from English medium schools were performing better.  

My cousin suggested me to meet Dr. V Nithyananda Bhat who was a professor of English in the same college.  But Dr. Bhat was not teaching my class.  So, I met Dr. Bhat and requested him to help me with basics of English.  He said, ‘I don’t take private tuitions.  If you have any doubts, you can come to me’.  But that was not enough for me.  I was looking for some guidance and training from him.  When I further requested him, he asked me to meet him after two days.  When I met him, he said, ‘Since you are showing so much interest, I can spend some time with you during the weekends.  This is not a private tuition, I will only handhold you till you reach a certain level. Then you have to be on your own.’ I was extremely happy.

Next Saturday I reached Dr. Bhat’s house.  He told me, ‘Anyway I am spending time with you, I thought let it be beneficial to few more.  So, I have invited three more students from the neighborhood, who are studying in the same class’.  This was a great relief for me because I got company to learn.  Thus, all the four of us sat around a table with Dr. Bhat in the centre.  First thing he told us was, ‘I can only teach you grammar. Nobody can teach you vocabulary.  You have to develop it by reading’.  He also asked us to buy a good English Dictionary. 

Dr. Bhat started with the basic lessons in English grammar.  What followed was a wonderful learning experience.  His style of teaching was so interesting that he used to give us lot of examples.  He made us frame sentences using what he had taught and corrected our mistakes immediately.  This gave us lot of confidence.  He encouraged us to read lot of literature, apart from the textbooks.  During this period, I became a member of the Ernakulam Public Library, which was not far from his residence.  I started reading English books from the library.  We became regular visitors at his residence during the weekends.  This continued for almost six to eight months.  At the end, my communication skills had definitely improved.

True to his name, I have always seen Dr. Bhat as a pleasant, simple, and down to earth individual.  Though I moved to a different college for my graduation, I remained in touch with Dr. Bhat.  The college where I did my graduation was very close to his residence.  When I was the president of the cultural committee, I invited him to my college for delivering a lecture.  My principal suggested us to hire a vehicle to bring Dr. Bhat to the campus.  When we told him that we would come with a vehicle, he said, ‘Why should you hire a vehicle? Your college is just across the road.  I will come by walk’.  The simplicity of Dr. Bhat has always impressed me. 

After retirement, Dr. Bhat is serving as the Honorary Director of Sukrtindra Oriental Research Institute at Kochi.  The Institute is involved in research and publications related to Indian ethos, value systems, Vedic literature etc.  Under the able leadership of Dr. Bhat, the Institute has grown leaps and bounds.  The Institute is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year and is organising many programmes as part of the celebrations.  Dr. Bhat is in the forefront of all activities.  Looking at the dedication and enthusiasm shown by him, I am sure that he is enjoying his post-retirement assignment as much as he enjoyed his teaching assignments. 

Today, if I am able to communicate reasonably well in English; if I have been a fairly good teacher for the last 26 years in Institutes where the medium of instruction has always been English, I owe it all to Dr. Nithyananda Bhat and his teaching.  Recently, when I spoke to him, I told him the same.  With all humility he refused to take the credit.   Great teachers like Dr. Bhat are like that – they make a big difference in your life; their influence is ever lasting and their teaching lifelong; still they refuse to take credit for anything!