‘India’s Headmaster’ Shomi Ranjan Das, who taught King Charles, passed away; was the head of 3 most renowned schools

New Delhi : Shomi Ranjan Das, the headmaster of three of India’s most prestigious schools – Mayo College, Lawrence Sanawar and The Doon School – died in Hyderabad at the age of 89. he/she can also be called the ‘Headmaster of India’. Das was also an alumnus of The Doon School and incidentally this prestigious school was founded by his/her maternal grandfather Satish Ranjan Das. Shomi Das was a well-known name in Indian education, who influenced several generations of students, including Britain’s King Charles. Educationist Shomi Ranjan Das was fondly called ‘Shomi’ by his/her friends and ‘Heady’ by his/her students. he/she was born on August 28, 1935. After his/her schooling, he/she graduated from St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata and then obtained a degree in Physics from Cambridge University. In the 1960s, Das taught at Gordonstoun, where he/she was also the teacher of the then Prince of Wales and the current King Charles of Britain. Das once told Britain’s ‘Mail on Sunday’ that King Charles was the ‘best schoolboy Macbeth’ he/she had seen.

his/her students felt Das believed in continuing education beyond the classroom, whether it was crossing the Chandrakhani Pass in a blizzard or sending students to fight forest fires. his/her former students said he/she encouraged curiosity and rewarded mindless adventurism with humour or a cane. One of his/her former students, Tushita Patel, told our sister publication The Times of India, describing him/her as ‘light-hearted and gentle with vulnerable students’.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was Das’s student, said, “Hedy showed me Halley’s Comet through a telescope in his/her backyard. For this and many other reasons, he/she will always remain one of the greatest teachers I have ever had the good fortune to know and learn from.”

Das loved the outdoors, trekking and adventure, and was a very bad marksman. Teachers who worked with him/her remember him/her as someone who was highly knowledgeable and humble. Samik Ghosh, who taught physics at Lawrence School, Sanawar, and later became headmaster of Scindia School, Gwalior, told TOI that Das would often come to the lab to help his/her teachers with experiments and “wouldn’t shy away from operating the copier” when needed. Ghosh remembers that when he/she decided to become a headmaster himself, Das advised him/her, “Never identify yourself with any person or group, and do what you have to do.”

Captain Rohit S Bajaj, Director of Pathways Gurgaon School, who studied and worked under Das, described his/her vision as “fearless and futuristic”. The Doon School condoled his/her death, saying “his/her dedication to education, combined with his/her humility and wisdom, earned him/her the respect of both his/her students and colleagues.”

Mayo College Ajmer praised his/her ‘exemplary leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence’, saying that these qualities ‘left an indelible mark on the institution, and deeply influenced countless students who were guided by him/her.’ Das was Principal of Mayo College, Ajmer from 1969 to 1974.

Sanawar Lawrence School described Das as an “integral part” of the school from May 1974 to March 1988. “he/she will be remembered with love and respect by students for generations to come,” the school said. “he/she had the ability to instinctively and unerringly figure out what was right for you as a person. This intuition was his/her greatest quality,” said Himmat Singh Dhillon, the current headmaster of Sanawar and a disciple of Das.