Visakhapatnam: A rare farewell to a dearer teacher

Visakhapatnam: Students' giving a befitting farewell to a teacher is not an uncommon practice. But at Malluguda, Gummalakshmipuram mandal in Vizianagaram district, people of the entire village joined together to offer Gowdu Narendra a hero's farewell on his transfer to another school.

This way, locals felt that they could express their gratitude towards the 33-year-old secondary grade teacher – II who truly cared for their wards and grabbed every opportunity to make a difference. What makes Narendra so special in the village? A decade ago, when the native of Mondemkhallu village in Kurupam mandal, Vizianagaram district was posted at Mandal Parishad Primary School, Malluguda village as a teacher, there was no concrete structure at the campus. Children rarely attended school.

The school building was in a dilapidated condition then. Classes used to be held under the tree shade. But 10 years down the line, the school painted a different picture. The lone teacher not only imparted lessons to the students from Classes I to V for the first five years of his stint but also trained aspirants in preparing for competitive exams at his own expense. 

Paying attention to each child at the school, catering to the stationery requirements of the students, offering help to their parents and solving their problems that arise before they grow too large and essaying the role of a counsellor in times of need, Narendra has become dearer to the students and so for the locals. "From a mere four, the school now has 32 students studying from Classes I to V. Convincing parents, I made sure that there were no school dropouts," shares the teacher with The Hans India. Though his transfer to MPP School, Jogipuram village in the same mandal made the villagers turn emotional, they decided to bid a grand adieu to their beloved 'master'. Washing his feet with turmeric water, carrying him on their shoulders and dancing to the rhythmic beats, Narendra was treated to a memorable farewell. In no time, the farewell video went viral on social media platforms.

While the locals showered the master with thoughtful gifts such as sets of clothes, an almirah and a pair of silver lamps, Narendra presented a ceiling fan to the school management as his farewell gift.