Heroes are people we look up to and admire. People we seek to emulate. They do the right thing, shoulder responsibility, and facilitate change without making a show. If we look past superficial glamour, we can find such heroes all around us, among ordinary people. Monideepa Sahu opens our eyes to this reality
In the good old days, our heroes were towering personalities such as Sardar Patel, who focused on strengthening our newborn nation with single-minded conviction. Gandhiji inspired us through a non-violent revolution, wanting the bare minimum for his personal needs, and striving for everything worthwhile for his fellow Indians. Gandhiji was a simple man, yet he heroically brought the mighty British Empire to its knees. Their followers have since gone the way of dodos and dinosaurs. New breeds of heroes have evolved, taking their hallowed predecessors’ ideals to fresh and previously unimagined directions.
Humanity has always needed heroes as role models to guide their lives. Our heroes are changing along with our value systems. The primary aim of Indians today is to somehow make as much money as possible. Everyone worships money, from government officials drooling over bribes, to private manufacturers pushing shoddy products with deceptive advertising and indifferent customer service. Scamsters are today’s heroes, because they make the most money. They pursue this aim with the single-minded devotion of the heroes of yesteryear, striving to excel as faster, stronger and bigger crooks. Our leaders of yore preached the equality of all, irrespective of caste or creed. Modern scamsters treat Peter, Shanta Bai, the government or Rahim equally, for they see everyone as suckers to be duped. Nothing matters as long as their Swiss bank accounts fill up.
No wonder, so many of our netas who lead the nation have also been involved in colossal scams! The more prominent and powerful the neta, the bigger the alleged scam that temporarily knocks him out of action. These scam-tainted netas have the die-hard determination and resilience of a Sardar Patel or Gandhiji. No ignominy can suppress their invincible spirit. They return to contest elections, reclaim their gaddis, and set an example of courageous determination before the aam aadmi. A hero deliberately and bravely overcomes hurdles without regard to personal consequences. Scam-tainted netas are true heroes and leaders, for they brave all odds to pull off mighty scams. True heroes are selfless people who strive for the good of others. Today’s monstrous scams benefit many. After all, the loot is shared with sundry kinsmen, chamchas, and their neighbours and in-laws. Jai ho, heroic, die-hard scammies!
What’s the use of heroism, if nobody notices, or forgets in nanoseconds? A new breed of popular role models are perfecting the art of being constantly seen and heard, even though we aren’t quite sure why they deserve to hog the limelight. Glamorous fashion models, Bollywood stars, meteoric stars, wannabe stars and other motley celebs are another category of heroes perfect for our times. What makes them so wildly popular?
Well, most of us are mediocre, and we relate best with our own kind. We may pay lip-service to the Sardar Patels and Gandhijis. But we know that it’s next to impossible to reach their sky-high standards. We adore glamour because flaunting expensive possessions and slathering cosmetics can make us, our milkman, and our domestic help glamorous too. Even if we don’t win the Miss Solar System or Mr Asteroid Belt title, we can still aspire to be Miss Palace Guttahalli or Mr Kalasipalya and flash our booty on Page 3. The film industry can make a hero out of anyone. Filmmakers have absolute power to make their world of fantasy seem real. Film actors, who are ordinary people, become heroes of this fantasy world created by the imagination. Glamour, therefore, is an egalitarian and accessible aspiration for anyone and everyone, in the best traditions of Gandhian philosophy.
Under the glamour glare
Today’s craze for glamour fuels our economy and promotes prosperity. Therefore it keeps to the classical heroic paradigm of striving for the benefit of others. To be glamorous, all you need is money, which is the primary focus of our existence today. The film industry generates crores at the box-office. As for the rest of the glamour world, think not only of all the dazzling celebs, but also of peripheral folks like beauticians, fashion designers, event managers, cosmetic dentists, fitness trainers and others who peddle the glamour dream and laugh all the way to the bank. Our glamorous sporting icons merit special mention. They contribute to the economy by endorsing anything from motorcycles to soft drinks, generating fortunes in ad revenue. They’ve also been involved in doping scams, match fixing, and other scams. They are heroes twice over, since they embody the heroic qualities of scamsters as well as the glamour brigade.
Today’s glamour heroes have reinvented Gandhian asceticism. One of our many beauty queens recently shared how she “was taught to stay focused even in hard times. I remember we were made to follow a strict diet of not even a tinge of sugar in the dishes. It was difficult. When I had to compete for Miss Universe later, I lived on tomatoes and cucumber.” Accomplishing incredible tasks each day, diligence in the face of challenge; new age glamour heroes personify these classical heroic qualities. They live on sports drinks and lettuce leaves to maintain that svelte figure. They sweat it out to develop triceps, biceps, quadriceps and perhaps even sprout forceps. While braving such daily challenges, they also work for the good of others. They routinely avow to be the next Mother Teresa, pat orphans, or smile at cancer patients before rushing off to another photo shoot or cocktail party. Incredible? No wonder, they’re our heroes!
We, homo sapiens, pride ourselves on our intelligence, which sets us apart from buffaloes, amoeba, cockroaches and other life forms. Through the ages, humanity has looked up to intellectual heroes such as our ancient sages, Einstein, Copernicus, Lord Buddha, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Emmanuel Kant, Sir C V Raman, Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Madame Marie Curie and others. They have strived to offer fresh insights on all aspects of life, and inspired us to think for ourselves. Literary artists such as Shakespeare, Kalidasa and Goethe devoted their lives to expressing profound truths in beautiful and memorable ways.
Today’s intellectual heroes are bestselling authors of pulp fiction and fluff. The true measure of their heroic success lies in quantity and numbers. They are darlings of the masses, who cannot, or do not wish to take the trouble to appreciate quality. Glamorous celebs, who reinvent themselves as authors, are sure-shot successes. It doesn’t matter if they can’t write, because they can hire ghostwriters to pen books in their names. They thus benefit society by providing employment to poor hacks. These new age intellectual heroes wisely spend their time and energy in promoting themselves. Some impractical writers persist in trying to improve their skills and write better, more thoughtful books. In today’s world, it is an exercise in futility. They spend all their time and energy in producing books which few people care to read and understand. They work so hard, they have no time to get themselves embroiled in controversies or otherwise gain prominence. So, nobody hears of these elitist losers, and nobody cares about them or their books. The bestselling author heroically fuels publicity at fever pitch while writing book after book. Like glamorous celebs, scamsters and other new-age heroes, they thrive on the heroic conviction that the masses are asses, who will believe anything if it is shouted repeatedly and loudly enough. They are egalitarian, because in their rush to produce prolific quantities, they don’t fuss over originality, or clarity of thought and expression. This appeals to mass audiences because they too think and express themselves unclearly.
The bestselling pulp author does enormous social service by raising the aspirations of the masses. He is living proof that anyone can become an author with intellectual pretensions. All they need is a ghostwriter, a publicity machine, and a vanity press which will publish anything if paid well enough.
Appealing to the intellect
New age spiritual gurus are a special species of intellectual heroes, many of whom also write bestselling self-help and pop-spiritualism books. These gurus offer glib magic mantras, which anyone can take with the hope of learning how to live well, become good looking, successful and happy.
The superheroes of comic books, movies and games fire the imagination of the masses. Most of us live boring and insignificant lives, slogging away in offices and clawing others in the rat race. In real life, we can’t zap away bullying bosses, backbiting colleagues or neighbours who toss garbage at our doorsteps. Fantasy novels, games and movies allow us to escape into wonderful, unreal worlds. There we can prove ourselves by flying off in jazzy underwear to save some alternate universe from androids or Klingons. This trend is a takeoff from our normal human need to daydream and fantasise. It is a fantastic stress buster. While pretending to be superheroes, we can work off our anger, anxieties and frustrations in fantasy worlds, instead of going berserk in the real world. Superhero fantasies provide emotional vents for children too. Many children today grow up in cramped apartments, with no open space to play, be themselves and explore their full potential. Fantasies of superheroes, physical conflict and danger can help children to learn how to take risks and understand their own strengths and limitations.
Fake show and empty-vessel hoo-ha dominates our world. Yet a few Indians continue to do their best and make a difference despite setbacks. They do the right thing, shoulder responsibility, and facilitate change without making a show, because it comes to them naturally. Real heroes of today are upright and sincere people like Dr Verghese Kurien, who strived against vested interests and organised the milk co-operatives in Gujarat into the iconic AMUL. From being deficient, India is now the world’s largest producer of milk.
Heroic deeds
When a cyclone completely destroyed the Pamban Bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland in 1964, Dr Elattuvalapil Sreedharan rebuilt it in an astonishing 46 days. He was also in charge of planning and building India’s first metro rail in Kolkata, and of rolling out the Delhi Metro in record time. Known for his transparency and efficiency, this self-effacing gentleman also guided the awe-inspiring Konkan Railway project.
Municipal Commissioner S R Rao made Surat one of India’s cleanest cities after the 1995 plague. He achieved the unimaginable amidst threats to his life and pressure from politicians, builders, contractors and other vested interests.
Social entrepreneur Dr Harish Hande co-founded SELCO India, which helps alleviate poverty by providing underserved people with sustainable electricity. The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011 is among the many honours SELCO has earned.
Why do the names and achievements of such modern heroes flicker so briefly in the public eye before being eclipsed by the screaming glamour brigade? Simple. Their unassuming, unglamorous personalities cannot promote toothpastes, piles ointments or other commercial products. How will the media afford to give them more visibility, if they cannot earn enough ad revenue to sustain the hoopla? As shopaholic consumers, we perpetuate this trend. We feel that by owning products advertised, we can be like the glamorous people glorified in zillions of ads. We try to escape from our mediocrity by becoming ‘heroic’ through the cult of consumerism. It’s easier to buy stuff with that ‘feel-good factor’ instead of struggling to genuinely excel at anything.
Another reason why true achievers with bona fide credentials do not always get the appreciation they deserve is because they make us uneasy at a deeper level. Sincere people who naturally strive for excellence without hankering for publicity are constant reminders of high standards which we may never be able to reach. Rather than follow their example and drive ourselves to excel, we try to ignore them. We usually praise them with brief obituaries only after death, when they are no longer able to make us feel inadequate and guilty by their superior presence.
If we look past superficial glamour, we will find true heroes all around us, among ordinary people. These heroes have human imperfections, but they rise above difficulties to accomplish something positive. They are not showy, but have the quiet courage to do the right thing. They have the mental and moral strength to face adversities, and fearlessly walk the talk. Haven’t we all, at some stage, benefitted from the depth, knowledge and generosity of a parent, teacher, friend or mentor? It’s time we stepped forward to encourage such unassuming heroes, and to make a conscious choice to support the right values. In this way, we can spread courage and support those around us as we face the trials of life. Each of us can be a brave hero by becoming disciplined and resolute in our own hearts. It’s true that we can’t all save the world, but each of us can show bravery by standing up for our principles. True heroism is to be genuine, to quietly and firmly persist in doing the right thing despite opposition or taunts from others.