India is going to celebrate Teacher’s Day on September 5. On this day, nation remembers those teachers who touched our lives with compassion, discipline, and patience. As per Indian culture, teachers are narrated as selfless individuals who give up their time and sometimes even their lives to help students learn. But in a small corner of Kerala, there is one teacher who is going an extra mile literally daily since more than two decades.
Get to know Abdul Malik, a mathematics teacher from Malappuram district, and who locals have come to know as the “Tube Master.” His is an extraordinary tale: for 20 years, Malik has been swimming across the Kadalundi River every day to school, not on a bridge or boat, but using a rubber tube.
With a sealed plastic bag grasped in his hand, containing his books, lunch, and a new set of clothes, Malik propels himself against the force of the river. Within 15–20 minutes, he arrives at the opposite bank, where he hastens to change behind a boulder before continuing on foot the remainder of the distance to the Muslim Lower Primary School at Padinjattumuri. In the evening, he does it all again a daily practice now become an emblem of unshakeable commitment.
The swim was not done out of adventure, but of need. In 1994, the only other option was a long drive by road three buses and almost three hours of travel, one way. “The school is water-surrounded on three sides. Swimming is less than relying on uncertain transport,” Malik once explained. Nothing that locals said could dissuade him. Boats, he believed, were unstable because of changing water levels. Swimming, to him, was the most convenient method of making sure he never let his students down.
Abdul Malik’s dedicated journey for his students
The river is not always merciful. Malik has witnessed heavy monsoons, fast current, wood and trash floating around and once even snakes in the river over the years. But never did he allow fear to be an excuse. “The river may be an obstacle, but it could never separate me from my students,” he reflects quietly, in a quiet strength that embodies his philosophy on life.
But Malik’s relationship with the river goes beyond his daily transportation. An avid environmentalist, he perceives the river as a lifeline and an open classroom. He has a heavy heart over the increased pollution in the river and regularly takes his students along to clean up the river banks. “Nature is a gift from God,” he tells his students, wanting to imbue in young minds, the respect and responsibility for taking care of our ecosystems. His students love these lessons and they learn a lot more than math they learn how to live with nature, respect and persistence.
Teaching an act of commitment for Abdul Malik
Abdul Malik predicted in 2013 that by 2029, he would have swam almost 700 kilometers back and forth to school. That is not just a number it is an embodiment of his resolute heart. For him, teaching is not work, it is a vocation, a vocation that requires work, no matter any inclement whether (legally or physically), even if he has to ‘go back’ through the river every day.
Stories like Abdul Malik’s remind us of the immense sacrifices teachers will endorse without shame. Think of Abdul’s daily trek over the Kadalundi river not as a commute, but as an act of devotion, a daily reminder to his pupils that studying is worth braving the raging currents for.
Abdul Malik is more than a teacher. He is a reflection of determination, passion for learning, and the unbelievable extremes to which real teachers will go so that no obstacle, even a river, can prevent a child from getting an education.
ALSO READ: Can A 103-Year-Old Really Use WhatsApp? Kerala Just Proved It Possible Through Digital Literacy
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
