Professor M K Sanoo was a teacher par excellence. One of the very few teachers of the past generation who had a unique and holistic idea about their job. A vanishing tribe, there are only a very few of them left now.
Professor Sanoo maintained a different equation with the student community. He wasn’t providing information to score marks and pass an exam. He was imparting a culture that had social, cultural, and ecstatic foundations. Above everything else, he had personal bonds with every student that later became a lifetime attachment standing on the unshakable foundation of love. The teacher gave the student the chance to imbibe his social commitment and relationship with nature.
Professor Sanoo remembered every student by face and name. This was remarkable as he had come across hundreds of them at various levels and spread over a period of three decades. Over and above his work at educational institutions, he always remembered he was responsible to the community as a whole and was part of the Renaissance movement.
At the dawn of freedom, society even in this part of the world which was supposed to be better than most parts of the country, was in a pitiable state. There were hundreds of castes and communities, the quality of life decreasing with depth of negation of rights.
It was soon realised that even with freedom, there was going to be no change from the British days in the misery of the downtrodden. Literature was the first to wake up and take up this cause. This initiative took the challenge of understanding the works of pre-Independence writers and pave the way for literary creation with a new sense of liberation. This made the study of Malayalam language a revolutionary activity and professor Sanoo was in the vanguard.
His students loved him and they could be easily impressed upon. Sanoo was a simple man. Physically weak, he was mentally very strong. Did not want to make any fortune for himself. He invited attention to the great issues Sree Narayana Guru and the like had highlighted.
I have about half a century of relationship with him, an informal student. Every public speech he made was a treat. But even when he criticised, he took extreme care not to make it personal.
I remember when he contested elections to the state assembly. The student community rallied behind him. I remember to have delivered about a hundred speeches to further his cause. But before I made the first one he called me and told me: ‘I am sure you know what is the most important part of the game: Let us not make any accusations against anyone, even if it is true. It’s only a wrestling competition. Let us not leave behind any scar!’
Of course he won. He was the most qualified to become the minister for education. But politics being what it was, and always is, it didn’t happen. However, Professor Sanoo kept his smile: ‘I am only happy that I had not been entrusted with the job of cooking a solid meal over an oven that refuses to burn!’