Prof (Dr) Nevidita Mukerjee taught us more than just literature. She embodies a unique blend of affection, dynamism, love and inspiration.
Prof (Dr) Nevidita Mukerjee
Hazrat Aisha (RA), the first lady teacher in the history of Islam, studied under the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for about nine years. For quite some time after the Prophet (PBUH) passed away, Hazrat Aisha (RA) continued to sleep in her own apartment by the side of his grave. One night, she had a dream in which she saw the Prophet (PBUH), and the very next day, she shifted to the adjoining apartment, which became a hub of learning. This is how, as a lady and a teacher in those days, she contributed towards education.
No doubt, there are people in our times too who truly contribute positively to society and play their roles efficiently, often going above and beyond. While the administration may not always take note of them, we as students know the worth of every teacher. There are teachers with the best qualifications, gold medals, and high merit ranks, but sometimes they fail to make us understand even simple concepts. Simultaneously, there are teachers who, besides performing their own duties well, prove to be great ideals, and such teachers not only make us academically better but also morally upright.
For example, I know a teacher who, through her sincere efforts, is frequently remembered by all her students across India even today. Yes, she is none other than Prof (Dr) Nivedita Mukerjee—a dedicated and commendable teacher who was like a friend, a philosopher, a fountainhead of knowledge, a living ideal, and a guiding light for the growth and development of students today as worthy citizens of tomorrow. Generally regarded as the builder of a nation, a teacher is the backbone of the educational system, the maker of mankind, and the architect of society. Prof Mukerjee was blessed with all these qualities.
Lovingly known among us in the Department of English as “Mukerjee Ma’am”, Prof Mukerjee was soft-hearted, had a friendly nature, and led a generous lifestyle. Being blessed with a professor like her at the university level was marvellous. I was fortunate to have such a great teacher for the first time, whose stimulating and eyebrow-raising lectures will stay with me forever. She was different from all others in every way, but she would, unlike everyone else, teach literature on the board and explain things graphically.
Except for Dr Mukerjee Ma’am, all the professors would gather in the department every day, either to have a cup of tea together or to chalk out something special. She was suffering from joint pain, which made it difficult for her to go upstairs to the department. Our HOD, Dr Neeraj Agnihotri, would always praise her whenever he came to inspect our class. And when, after months, we happened to see her in the department upstairs, she would smile at all of us and say that a meeting was going on. Madam had a natural inclination towards quotations. Every day, she would write an outstanding quotation on the board in the department, which we would hurriedly note down on paper.
In the third semester, she taught us Thomas Hardy’s novels like Tess of the D’Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge and Far from the Madding Crowd. But all she taught was engrossing. She would weigh her words and then shape them into sentences tactfully. I recall one day she remarkably showed us, in a graphic manner, how William Shakespeare and Thomas Hardy were just opposite in their writings. Her spellbinding lectures would grip us from start to finish. She was friendly with every student in the department. Every word or sentence she spoke during her lectures would act as a quotation for us, and we wouldn’t delay in jotting it down. She would dress her thoughts attractively, and we all would save them gingerly for our future! She treated all her students equally, and that’s why she was my preferred professor in the Department of English at Government Hamidia Arts & Commerce PG College, Bhopal.
Prof Mukerjee had a strong desire to recite the English translation of the Holy Qur’an, irrespective of being a Hindu. Whenever she taught us any poem in the classroom, I would either quote Allama Iqbal’s (RA) verses or correlate Qur’anic verses with the context. She would wonder and say that the same thing is in the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas. She had asked me to bring the English translation of the Holy Qur’an from Kashmir, but, to my misfortune, years have gone by, and the promise is still to be kept.
Madam is absolutely a timeless inspiration. Ringing up a student is far different from the norm back home, where university professors don’t even talk formally to their students. Maintaining the teacher-student gap is good, but it should not be so wide that students suffer and do not learn anything from their torchbearers. But it’s not so with professors outside Kashmir. A teacher must be a friend and a true inspiration, not a snooze fest. One should genuinely enjoy studying with them. This is what I’ve realized during my student days with her.
With Mukerjee Ma’am, life seemed loveliest. One would always desire to walk more miles zealously when she took the class. Every day, she would make us carry something new with us. “So, let’s call it a day,” I recall the line she would use to seal her thought-provoking lectures in a musical voice.
In the last semester, she taught us Indian Literature. I imagine, a month before our exams began, she taught us Tagore’s poems from Gitanjali. How superbly she taught those ten poems prescribed in our syllabus! To me, Mukerjee Ma’am is a true beacon of love, an enduring educator, and a legacy of learning. I can’t forget the day when she brought us stationery pouches as we were about to leave for Kashmir. How terrible it was! She wept that day and brought us to tears too! Whenever other professors would speak highly of me in her presence, she would often say, “Manzoor is a receptive and mature student.”
She was so friendly that during exam days, she would come to me and ask about my attempts and preparation. When sometimes she was busy with something in the department, she would call me up in my room and ask about my attempt. She gave my batch so much that she will be missed for a long time. She was like a gripping book that requires not just a single year but years together to be read and fully understood. Ah, my misfortune, I couldn’t flip over head and ears! But I’m certain; I have only half the book left to flip through now. I wish her long life, happiness, and prosperity. I will remember her all my life.
Manzoor Akash is a columnist, author and educationist
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