Savitri Bai vs. Radhakrishnan: Unveiling the True Teacher!

Many of us are accustomed to the tradition of celebrating Teachers' Day on September 5th, marking the birth anniversary of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. It's a day when we express our appreciation to teachers by presenting them with gifts and highlighting their invaluable contributions to helping students achieve their dreams. However, in recent times, a different perspective has emerged through the power of social media. The Bahujans, a marginalized group, argue that observing Teachers' Day on September 5th is a celebration of the wrong heroes, neglecting the genuine champions of the Bahujans' cause.

These unsung heroes faced unimaginable challenges, including attacks with stones and encounters with cow dung, as they dedicated themselves to uplifting marginalized sections of society, particularly Bahujans and women. Among these remarkable figures was Savitri Bai Phule, a trailblazing lady who confronted fierce opposition from orthodox Hindu society in pursuit of her mission. She found unwavering support in her husband, Jyotiba Rao Phule. Together, they embarked on a mission that led to the establishment of 18 schools between 1848 and 1852, each one aimed at providing education to those who had been denied it for far too long. However, their radical efforts were met with vehement resistance from Brahmins, who orchestrated their eviction from their own home.

This alternative narrative challenges the conventional observance of Teachers' Day and calls for a re-evaluation of who we consider as true heroes in the realm of education.

Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan: Not Fitting the Mould of an Exemplary Teacher?

Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan took over as the second President of the country in 1962, succeeding Rajendra Prasad. Earlier in his career, he had a stint as a teacher, as he taught at Madras Presidency College and later was selected as a Professor of Philosophy at Maharaja's College, Mysore, under the University of Mysore. In 1921, he was appointed as a professor of philosophy at the University of Calcutta. However, this falls short of considering someone an exemplary teacher.

Furthermore, a controversy surrounding him casts serious doubts on his ability as a teacher and scholar. In 1928, his erstwhile student Jadunath Sinha sent a letter to the editor of The Modern Review in which he alleged that Radhakrishnan's second volume of "Indian Philosophy" (published in 1927) had "bodily incorporated" or plagiarized Sinha's doctoral thesis without any attribution. He also provided 70 comparative instances to support his claim. The matter went to court, and after several years, the dispute was finally settled through out-of-court mediation. This particular episode presents Radhakrishnan as an unethical teacher and strengthens the case of his critics who dispute his status as an "inspirational teacher."

A Dalit ideology views education as one of the most important means for liberation and Brahminism as a primary contradiction in the attainment of education. They oppose the observance of Teachers' Day on the birth anniversary of a Brahmin who is alleged to have been a proponent of Hinduism/Brahmanism as a scholar of comparative religion.

September 5th- Sarkari Memory of Teachers' Day, and January 3rd is the Public Memory

N. Sukumar, a professor at Delhi University, spoke to The Mooknayak, and he says, "Savitri Bai Phule is a true democratic educationalist. She democratized education for marginalized sections and, particularly, women in general. She started schools and advocated education for all. That's why January 3rd needs to be considered as the true Teachers' Day. Still, educational institutions, whether schools, middle, or higher, are all exclusive and practice discrimination. Did Radhakrishnan ever speak about inclusive education? September 5th is a sarkari (government) memory of Teachers' Day, but January 3rd is the public memory of Teachers' Day. Radhakrishnan firmly believed in Hindu Philosophy, which denies education for Dalits and women. How can we consider this day as Teachers' Day?

Advent of Social Media Intensifies the Counter-Narrative

It was the Dalit Panther that began celebrating the birthday of Savitribai Phule. It is said that the Dalit Panther has been celebrating her birthday as Teachers' Day since its formation in 1972.

In the 21st century, the demand for declaring January 3rd as Teachers' Day goes back to 2007 when Bahujan Student Front, a student outfit at Jawaharlal Nehru University, began celebrating the birth anniversary of Savitri Bai Phule as Teachers' Day. Later, in 2012, a blog by S. Swaroop Sirapangi, a research scholar at the Department of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad, demanded that Savitri Bai Phule, unlike Radhakrishnan, deserved recognition as a real educator. She, along with her husband Jyotiba Phule, was at the forefront of spreading education, particularly for women and lower castes, as early as the middle of the nineteenth century.

The "recognition" of Savitri Bai Phule as a true Bahujan Teacher gained traction after the advent of social media in 2014 onwards, and since then, many Bahujans have taken the initiative to celebrate it in educational institutes run by them.

Dalit Students' Bitter Experiences Take the Sheen off Teachers' Day

Kuldeep Kumar Baudh, an activist belonging to the Bundelkhand Dalit Adhikar Manch, says, "The experience of Dalit students with teachers is not always pleasant. Teachers in rural areas discriminate based on caste." He cites a recent incident at a school in Kyolari village in Jalaun district, where a girl was denied the use of a toilet, drinking water, and subjected to casteist slurs by the teacher because she belonged to the Valmiki community. This is also one of the reasons behind the denunciation of Radhakrishnan as a teacher.

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