THOSE WERE THE DAYS: S Radhakrishnan — First Citizen who inspired nation’s pride in intellectual traditions

PANDIT Nehru said, “Radhakrishnan has served India in many faculties. But, above all, he is an illustrious teacher from whom all of us have learnt much and will continue to learn…” Though the rest of the world celebrates Teachers’ Day on October 5, his birthday is officially Teachers’ Day in India.

A freshly independent nation that had been under the heel of invaders for more than 1,000 years needed thinkers to make it believe in its eminence again. Thus a man with no political background or sponsorship, one who had not raised as much as a finger against the colonialist and had been even knighted by them was chosen to be in the upper echelons of power in India — even being its first citizen.