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Dr.Paul Linder Love is the kind of person all his students
want to be. He always makes people feel good about themselves. And that is
something nobody ever forgets.
He is an inspiration, a source of spontaneity and kindness,
a living embodiment of his name. This teacher of English literature of six
decades has influenced generations of students from the North to the South in a
way that is beyond imagination.
At 85, he is loved and respected as much or even more by all
those whose lives he has touched as a teacher, faculty, mentor, guide, friend
or guardian. Ask for his comment on this love in abundance and his eyes
twinkle, smile radiates and the voice gently says, “I am a keen observer of
people and am in love with India.” But he does not decry anything American
either.
That is quintessentially ‘Paulji’ or ‘Proffy’ as his
students from different batches over the years call him – unpretentious, just
and always himself. It is because of this sheer goodness and truthfulness, they
say, that he attracts people from all over who then remain in permanent awe of
him.
A whole lot of these emotions have been beautifully wrapped
in 300-odd pages by his students, fellow colleagues and friends. Titled “Love
in Madurai”, it brings out the English teacher’s life well lived because he did
not just teach his students inside classrooms. He made them think and taught
them to dream and love their work.
The texture of life in academy has its own share of ups and
downs. But it is the satisfactions, frustrations, routines and disappointments
to which a teacher prepares the student for life -- that is the most powerful
aspect of educational responsibility. Dr. Paul Love scores a perfect 10.
He did his Ph. D from Northwestern University, Illinois, to
become an English professor. But it was while studying Theology for a year in
Connecticut that an introductory course on India that included readings from
the Ramayana, Mahabharata and R.K.Narayan’s The English Teacher, made him value
India. At 25 in 1954, he embarked on a 38-day voyage by a cargo ship to reach
Bombay from New York. He went to Allahabad, swam in the Ganges. He went to
Batala, a small dusty town in the hinterlands of Punjab because he was
interested in teaching English to people with no opportunity. Punjabis opened
their homes and hearts and he instantly fell in love with them.
After teaching for three years he went back to the US only
to return in 1965 when Baring Union Christian College became the first
institution in Punjab to start a Post-Graduate course in English. “I wanted to
be in a level playing field and the then principal, Dr.Ram Singh was a
wonderful leader who treated me equally,” says Paul of his association with the
college for the next 15 years.
It was after much negotiation that the then principal
Dr.M.A. Thangaraj, succeeded in bringing Paul Love to The American College,
Madurai, once plans were afoot to start the PG programme in 1980. Like a true
friend, Dr.Ram Singh not only let him go but even accompanied Paul Love to
Madurai to help him settle down in a totally different culture!
While his smattering of simple Hindi got him around in
Punjab, at 52 Paul was not really attuned to learning Tamil. He says he got
busy in setting up a different PG programme by dividing the genres of
literature and introducing separate classes on fiction, prose, poetry, drama
instead of period history as done in all literature courses. Given his passion
for books, he also set up a library. Upon retirement in 1986, he got involved
in establishing SCILET, which over the years with members from all over India
has emerged as a rich resource centre for Indian literature in English and
translations besides conducting periodic workshops and meet the author events.
But at the core of all his activities remained the interest
of the students. His residence within the campus called the Barton House would
always be open to them. He would never make the students feel that they were
the ‘taught’ but go along with them in the desire to question and know more.
Paul Love would check every answer sheet with such care and
commitment that most of the times his corrections and comments would far exceed
the answer written by the student! At the beginning of every class, he would
give his students the freedom to leave if they were not interested in attending
his lecture. But none would because learning with him was always an adventure,
an exploration of the new worlds and giving wings to the imagination.
Even today students find him in his corner in SCILET,
reading books and always available for help. He loves to write letters, he
says. “The tone loses its warmth if you type. I send back home hand written
messages on Christmas or any other occasion,” he smiles.
Now with so many people having written about him because
they feel they owe it to him, there can be no better tribute than the bouquet
of lovely articles.
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