Teachers in true sense!

The news of the demise of Miss. Surjeet Singh Ahluwalia, President and Manager, Riverdale School and a highly devoted educationist of the Doon Valley for around seven decades has come as sad news for me and many other who have known her. At the outset, I pray to almighty God to rest her soul in peace and give strength to the family and friends to bear this irreparable loss.

I have known Miss.Surjeet Singh Ahluwalia and her sister Miss Jagbala Singh since the last over four decades. Miss.Surjeet Singh and Miss.Jagbala Singh will always be known as educationists par excellence.

Miss. Jagbala has been my teacher in mid 1970's at the Cambrian Hall before her moving on to her co-educational school the Riverdale which she and her sister Miss Surjeet set us in the year 1979.

Miss Jagbala played a long innings at the Cambrian Hall and is one of the founding pillars of the school in its formative years. No words can express her devotion to education and love for children. I feel lucky being taught by such a selfless teacher as Miss Jagbala rarely found these days. In fact both the sisters Miss Surjeet and Miss Jagbala stand in the annals of the education as teachers in true sense!

I was a blue-eyed boy of Miss Jagbala who made sure I was up in everything in class activities right from studies to being whacked occasionally by her being a very naughty and bubbly boy. I however still feel the eternal love she had for me and other children however naughty we were.

She took personal pains to make sure the lesson taught by her is well understood by even the weakest in the class. Herself she was ahead in all school activities and a close confident of the school management and Principal.

I remember besides being our class teacher and English teacher continuously for three years in standard 5-7 she even took Hand-work class in absence of Handwork teacher. Hand-work in those days was a period devoted during the weekend day towards socially useful productive work and/or doing creative work other than studies under supervision of a designated teacher. This aimed in inculcating in every child a spirit of selfless work and imbibing creativity. What I still remember is she made even the boys in the class along with the girls learn sewing and making table napkins with bead boarders. The boys hated sewing and stitching but she emphasised that even boys should have basic knowledge of needlework and sewing. How correct she was! Today I realise this, while travelling, many times I can stitch button of my shirt flawlessly, thanks to Miss Jagbala! Honestly, on such occasions I inadvertently always remember her for the trait she taught us.

Miss. Jagbala’s sister Miss. Surjeet, often did substitution for teachers on leave for short duration in Cambrian Hall. She too was no different. Both the sisters were equally capable and wonderful person and educators. I had many occasions of being taught by Miss Surjeet and fondly remember her.

There are countless incidences that come to my mind where I feel Miss Jagbala and Miss Surjeet were complete teacher not just limited to teaching us lessons from the book but made each one of us understand even the many worldly lessons at our age.

A totally against the philosophy of Summer/Winter holiday homework that the students burdened with; she encouraged us to read story books instead during holidays. A few book titles of eminent authors she used to give to the class before the holidays and made sure she took account of it on our return to the school to assess how well we read and understood those books. It was really refreshing! How innovative and ahead of times was Miss Jagbala.

A woman with a hot-temperament taking no-nonsense from anybody she is in fact very gentle at heart. Although many of us during our school days received treat from her small wooden bat that we named as "O! Boy" we never complained. She however knew her limitation of how much to use the bat. Writing this piece I can still feel the taste of her bat.

To add to the gloom of the demise of Miss Surjeet Ahluwalia equally saddening was to learn of the Ahluwalia sister's decision (that which Miss Surjeet made couple of weeks before her demise on July 18,2017) of pulling down the curtains on one of the best privately owned school of the town known for its quality education, the "Riverdale School". Built by the duo brick-by-brick from scratch while the best reasons for their decision is known to them a probable cause is lack of a compatible educationist who could lead the school at par with high education standards and principles set by Ahluwalia sisters to carry their legacy in today’s times where education is more of a money minting business. Though the reason be any definitely it is sad to see an institution like a school call it a day.

While the school should have lived, I feel the Ahluwalia sisters have been very wise of not handing over the reins of their dream school in the hands of incompatible and unworthy. I hope they get a true educationist to lead the school on their principles and not shut doors from April 2018.

The Ahluwalia sisters have been institutions in themselves. While one is gone, I pray Miss Jagbala has a long and healthy life. Today such teachers are a rare breed.