Dear Aritra,

Thank you most gratefully for your latest comment on the recent post titled My channel on YouTube (I hope you are the Aritra Roy who made a short movie with me as one of the characters in it).

Just how happy it made me should be apparent from the fact that this is the very first blogpost of this sort that I have written – a response to a comment in the form of a letter uploaded as a separate post on the blog itself.

All my life as a teacher – and it’s been a long time, starting at 17, and past 55 now – I have tried to be not merely an instructor making a living but, as they used to say in the olden days, friend, philosopher and guide with the best long-term interests of my students at heart. My blog, and lately my YouTube channel, is meant to complement the same effort that I have been making all along. Also, gradually to build up a network of old boys and girls who will not only warm the cockles of my heart in my old age, assuring me that I have lived well, and that I am not fated to suffer alone in my misery when I can no longer look after myself, but also, who will interact with one another, keep in touch with one another for years and years, make precious friendships with one another, benefit (even in very practical, immediate, material terms, like someone finding a good doctor or the sympathetic ear of a senior policeman or judge or a useful business contact or  shelter and sustenance in an alien city far from home when one’s pocket has been picked clean, simply because both were Sir’s ex students) from one another, and thank their lucky stars that Sir made the effort, and kept making it for as long as he could.

With many, despite my best efforts, I have not succeeded. With female students, it appears at my station in life, I have failed almost entirely. With you, it seems I have scored. Nothing more wonderful than to hear that often and again a voice inside has assured you that Sir will be there for you when you really need him. Yes, I will.

The tragedy of my life is that, whereas a tiny number of stupid and vulgar people who absolutely hate me are very vociferous in spewing foul venom at me wherever they can (though, of course, the spittle falls on their own faces, as it is supposed to do), there exists, I know, a vastly larger number who feel thankful and grateful and affectionate and respectful as you do, but for some reason they will not take the trouble to say it loud from the rooftops. Filthy rancour must be spread far and wide, humanity seems to believe very strongly, love and respect and adoration must be kept secret in the deepest chambers of the heart.

Which makes an occasional message of the sort you sent recently so very rare and precious. Thank you once again, and all my love and blessings. I shall be glad to see you face to face again, soon if possible.

Sir