The Teacher of the Nation

The Teacher of the Nation

O Bapu, you sat with the children,

their eyes wide with wonder,

their hands eager to touch truth.

You taught not from books alone,

but from life itself.

Each lesson a story,

each story a seed of conscience.

The chalk in your hand

was lighter than air,

yet it carried the weight of freedom.

The blackboard became a map

of justice and courage.

You showed that knowledge is not power

unless it teaches humility.

That learning is not wealth

unless it builds character.

The poor boy who had nothing

found riches in your lessons.

The girl who feared the world

found courage in your gaze.

You made every home a school,

every heart a classroom.

You taught that discipline

is the path to dignity,

and patience the path to strength.

Even the simplest tasks

became lessons of truth.

Sweeping the floor,

turning the wheel,

planting a tree —

all became prayer, all became teaching.

You believed that ignorance

was the greatest enemy of freedom.

And so, you spun the wheel,

wrote the letters,

and spoke the words

that lit the lamps of learning.

You said, “An educated soul

is stronger than any army.”

And in your own life,

you proved it true.

Children ran to you

with questions and doubts.

You did not answer all at once,

but gave them the courage

to seek their own truth.

You turned punishment into guidance,

failure into opportunity.

You saw potential

in every struggling hand,

in every questioning mind.

You taught that service

is the highest education.

That freedom without responsibility

is a dangerous wind.

That love for country

must walk hand in hand

with love for humanity.

You showed that true leaders

are the ones who lift others higher,

not themselves.

That a teacher’s greatest reward

is a child who walks stronger,

thinks deeper,

lives better.

Even when empires ruled with might,

you reminded the nation:

a mind free to think,

a heart free to feel,

are stronger than soldiers with guns.

The lessons you gave

were written not in ink alone,

but in every act of honesty,

every moment of courage,

every stand for justice.

O Bapu, today schools flourish,

but not all hearts learn.

We remember your words,

yet forget your example.

Teach us again

to honor knowledge,

to treasure simplicity,

to serve the weak,

to uplift the lost.

For every child who learns with love

carries your light.

For every hand that helps another,

for every mind that seeks truth,

your soul lives still.

Even now, in quiet villages,

your lessons hum softly:

“Read, think, act, serve.

Be honest, be brave, be kind.

This is the true education.”

And when a generation rises

from these lessons,

it will be a nation reborn.

And in its heart,

your vision will walk forever —

O Teacher of the Nation,

O Father of Freedom.