Basavaraju is a primary school teacher who evokes Gandhi – whom he emulates and impersonates amongst his school students and people on the streets in a small town in the State of Karnataka, India. He began doing this as a way to spread Gandhian ideology by using the power of visual imagery.
Born to a materially disadvantaged family, he studied hard and got the job of P.E. teacher in a small private school. Some label him mad, others think he has an innovative style to beg, while many come and question him on his impersonation. This helps him to open a tiny window in the minds of those who question him, and to talk about the relevance and the need to practice the Gandhian ideals.
He considers children to be important thought builders, so he spends time with them sharing the Gandhian ideology with them, because peace is what he yearns for everyone and himself. As he puts it, war is all around – amongst nations, religious communities, groups or even different castes. Basavaraju also spends time teaching yoga to school children. Nowadays, there is a huge demand on his time as other schools call him to teach their children about Gandhi and yoga.
No medals, no certificates, no awards or rewards, no pomp – just an incognito hero who is living by those ideals every day. If, like him, all teachers went beyond academics and helped to instill much needed values in young minds and hearts, there would be renewed hope for our world – the womb where future generations grow.
Source: thebetterindia.com
