Mr. J K Singh

A Tribute to J K Singh – A Teacher Who Inspired a Lifelong Journey

The full name of J K Singh was "Jhar Khande Singh." It was a peculiar name, and when I first heard it, I could hardly believe it was his. Most people had affectionately given him the nickname "Jalebi Kachodi Singhara." In hindsight, I can now correlate the name "Jharkhand" with his own.

When I entered the secondary section in Class V, J K Singh was the class teacher of 6B. He was a man of very short stature, always with a smile on his face, and dressed in a dhoti and kurta. His heart was pure, and he was always clean in both appearance and demeanor. Though his core subject was History, he also taught English to the junior classes. One day, when our 6C and 6A classes were combined and seated together in the 6A classroom (on the first floor) while most of our teachers were away preparing for the Annual School Sports at Victoria Ground, J K Singh was teaching us History. The topic that day was "Pharaohs" — the kings of Egypt, part of the chapter on "Misr Ki Sabhyata" (The Civilization of Egypt).

For the first time in Class 6, I heard a teacher present history in his own words, rather than just reading directly from the textbook. In our section, 6C, R S Rai taught history by simply reading the book as it was, with no additional context. Perhaps he felt that a Class 6 student wouldn't be able to grasp much more. But in the other section, 6A, J K Singh brought the topic of Egypt and the Pharaohs to life. I vividly remember how he explained that the Pyramids were built long before Christ, and that the Pharaohs worshipped different gods — they weren’t Christians.

It was his storytelling and unique way of teaching that sparked my interest in visiting Egypt and seeing the Pyramids. That lecture stayed with me, and in 2008, I finally fulfilled my dream of visiting Egypt, spending time exploring the Pyramids. It was an experience that was directly inspired by his teaching. Tantia High School was fortunate to have such dedicated teachers, who went beyond just completing the syllabus to ignite a passion for learning in their students.

J K Singh, without a doubt, was pure at heart. Though he was known to discipline students when needed, he did so without fear, always with the goal of helping them improve. He truly loved his students. Despite his short height and bald head, senior students often teased him with mockery, but no one ever criticized him. I don’t think he had any enemies.

One moment that stands out in my memory was when J K Singh delivered a speech the day after General Zia Ul Haq, the then-President of Pakistan, passed away. The students were not particularly sad about it, and neither was he, but he still felt it was necessary to express his condolences, as a gesture of respect. After briefly acknowledging the death, we students couldn’t help but smile and laugh at the awkwardness of the moment. He acknowledged our reaction with good humor, accepting that Indians weren’t particularly affected by Zia’s death. He continued his speech, seamlessly transitioning to other topics.

Looking back, J K Singh was a teacher who truly left an impact on me. His approach to teaching, his integrity, and his sense of humor made him unforgettable. I'm grateful for the lessons he taught me, both inside and outside the classroom.