Kakinada: Peddada Ramaswamy, an inspiration to all teachers

Kakinada: It is the privilege and glory of PithapurRajah's Government College in Kakinada during British period to have a series of eminent principals and illustrious lecturers particularly belonging to English department. After the tenure of Raghupathi Venkata Ratnam Naidu and Dr Vemuri Rama Krishna Rao, Peddada Ramaswamy succeeded them as the principal and held an enthralling sway over thousands of students spanning over period between October 1932 andJuly 1941.

Being a product of Calcutta University and an ardent devotee of Brahmo Samaj, he expounded its ideas and ideals and exercised a profound influence on his students through his inspiringlectures.

He distinguished himself as a great teacher and eloquent orator. As a teacher, he used to come to classes late, but his students waited with bated breath and aching anxiety for his arrival.

On his arrival in the class, hours melted into minutes and students escaped into fairy lands enjoying new vistas of knowledge. His vibrant thunderous voice resonated throughout the entire classroom and the whole class was transported into Elysian regions of bliss and ecstasy.

Under his magnetic spell and charismatic leadership, a golden era ushered in and a harvest of highly talented English teachers was raised.

Prominent among them were Prof MV Rama Sharma, one of the great Miltonists and the first professor of English of Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. In PR College, like Juno's Swans, the inseparable pedagogical twins NVR and NIVR sustained the tradition and glory of PR College during 1940-1960s. PLN Sharma and IV Chalapthi Rao excelled their master and enlivened their classes with their sonorous lyrical lectures.

An old student of Peddada Ramaswamy recalled that the great teacher took two months to complete Thomas Gray's 'An elegy written in a country churchyard'. He recollected with wistful melancholy and nostalgic yearning that none could ever bring such poignant and profound feelings of sorrow and pervasive pathos underlining in the solemn poem touching the hearts of every student.

For evening classes twice or thrice in a week commencing from 7 pm to 9.30 pm, the students as well as employees used to attend them in large numbers. They brought their small mats to squat upon pebbled grass as the principal took the class under a banyan tree. A small dais was erected with two or three petromax lights placed either side on a big table and the principal seated himself on a throne-like chair.

The elite of the whole town along with the final BA students occupied the sprawling campus to listen to his lectures on King Lear with absorbing interest. Prior to his arrival, the whole atmosphere, with great expectancy, was calm except for the occasional shriek of a bird hidden in the foliage of nearby trees. Lo! The Principal arrived, peering at the vast multitude of the students beside adults and broke the silence of the still night by lecturing on the tragic isolation and agony of King Lear.

His vibrant, sonorous voice with clear accent reached the last man in the congregation. Caring little for the droppings of the birds on their heads and brushing them aside with kerchiefs, the students listened to him in rapt attention till the principal rose up from his chair to respond to the tingling bells of his Mysore oxen cart which carried him home late in the night.

One of the distinguishing traits of his personality was his abundant zeal and great devotion to conduct Mock Parliament in the college every month. He used to don the robes of a Speaker and prominent teachers of college were nominated as Ministers along with certain students as Members of Parliament.

Another significant aspect of Ramaswamy was his zeal for conducting debating club. In fact, PR College turned in to an Athenian Hall for elocution and debating skills. The students brought trophies from neighbouring colleges including Andhra University for their victory in elocution contests.

He christened the college union as Excelsior Union and the grand finale of academic year in the college concluded with celebrations of Andhra Cultural Week. During this week, distinguished men of letters delivered lectures in the morning and in the evening.The students displayed their histrionic talent by staging famous playlets. In fact, this training gave impetus to emerge as famous cine actors in later years and prominent among them were SV Ranga Rao,Haranath and others.

As a scholar and writer, his vast knowledge of English coupled with Upanishads enabled him to offer a critical evaluation of Tagore's 'Geetanjali'. No student of Tagore can afford to ignore reading of his elucidation and scholarly interpretation of the poem. His style is crisp, elegant and graceful. It sounds like lyrical prose.

Peddada Ramaswamy can be hailed as Professors' Professor for he produced a galaxy of eminent English professors as well as lecturers who in turn became role models for later younger generations to emulate in their profession. He is an inspiration to all teachers, particularly to young English lecturers, and an illustrious teacher as well as administrator worthy of remembrance and inspiration for his successors.