THE KING BREAKS ALL THE RULES

In the year 1994 the then President of India, Late Shankar Dayal Sharma, was on an official visit to Muscat (Oman). The moment Air India plane landed at the airport, three interesting incidents happened:

Oman King never visits the airport himself to receive any dignitary from any country, never! But, King of Oman (Qaboos Bin Said) himself went to the airport to receive the President of India. Then again, when the plane landed, Oman King climbed himself up the ladder and went inside the aircraft and accompanied the President.

Though a lot many chauffeur-driven luxury cars were waiting to carry the Indian President to the Royal Palace, Oman King himself drove the car in which the president was to sit and travel.

Later, when reporters asked the King as to why he broke so many protocols, the King replied: “I did not go to the airport to receive Mr. Sharma because he was the President of India. The fact of the matter is, I had studied in India and learned so many things over there. When I was studying in Pune, Mr. Sharma was my respected professor, and this is the reason I did all this out of my respect and reverence for my teacher.”

Great indeed! This is the magnanimity, relevance, and glory of being a teacher.