Shomie Das, a distinguished educator and the only individual to head three of India’s premier legacy schools—Mayo College, Lawrence School, Sanawar, and The Doon School—passed away late at night on Monday, in Hyderabad, 10 days after his 89th birthday.
His passing follows closely the release of The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, a book celebrating his significant contributions to education.
Das’s exceptional career was marked by a commitment to fostering curiosity, self-discovery, and critical thinking. He graduated from St. Xavier’s College, University of Calcutta, and the University of Cambridge before starting his teaching career at Gordonstoun School, where his students included Prince Charles. He served as the principal of Mayo College from 1969 to 1974, headmaster at Lawrence School, Sanawar, until 1988, and then at The Doon School. His tenure in these roles left an indelible impact on the educational landscape.
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Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Chancellor of Ashoka University and a personal acquaintance, lauded Das’s visionary methods, saying, “Shomie’s ideas about education transcend the conventional notion of what education is about. He has never believed that education is only about doing well in examinations. His ideas go to the root of the word—Latin educere, to draw out.”
Mukherjee also said, “He is the only person I know who has been the head of three leading public schools in the country. His association with Doon School was particularly personal. His grandfather helped establish the school, and becoming its headmaster was a homecoming for him.”
Retired Major General BS Danoha, who first met Das as a 13-year-old in 1974, recalled, “A stylish well-dressed gentleman who genuinely cared for children and how they were educated. He left his mark among our class of 1980 and we revered him and Mrs. Das.”
Danoha highlighted Das’s dedication, saying, “In our final year in 1979, he took all the school prefects, girls, and boys, on a lovely trek to Sangla Valley in Himachal and exposed us to the beauty of nature. His contacts across the academic world in India and abroad were extensive and he ensured that the potential he saw in his school kids was given the best chance to grow and prosper by placing our lot in the best colleges and institutions of higher study.”
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Shivraj Parshad, Senior Vice President of Avian WE and a former student of The Doon School, shared his personal experiences, “I remember Das keeping a close watch on me during school. When I faced bullying, he intervened to support me and even defended me against disciplinary actions from my housemaster. This intervention showed his deep understanding of the challenges students face.”
Parshad also recalled Das’s humorous touch, noting, “He once wrote in my report card, ‘Excellent, better than father, wonder where he gets it from.’ My father, who was a friend of Das, was both amused and slightly embarrassed by this comment.”
Parshad says,” He was an academician, and he was someone unlike an administrator, he understood the ethos of schools, education, and kids. He saw potential in kids beyond the prefecture of a student-master relationship.”
Naga Tummala, author of The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, reflected on Das’s enduring optimism in his book, “Shomie is an incurable optimist. And if there’s something I have learned from him, it is this. There is no point in being an educator without believing in the potential of our children, our future.”
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Das’s legacy lives on through the many schools he helped shape and the countless lives he enriched. His approach to education, marked by a profound understanding of students beyond their academic achievements, will be remembered with great respect and admiration. As Mukherjee says, “He taught students to become good individuals and good citizens of India. More than seeing tomorrow, I think he was committed to tomorrow.”
