Who should be called a hero or heroine?

Recently, one debate was trending on social media platforms and whats App groups that, 

who should be called Hero/Heroine? People, who are entertainers like actors, dancers, or comedians should be call Hero/Heroine or people who are in the Army should be called?

Who is a Hero/Heroine?

If we see the definition of Hero/Heroine, Hero is a person, who is admired for great achievements, bravery, or good qualities. (Hero word can be used for both gender (male and female), and Heroine word used for a female with the same meaning). In India (and some extend all over the world), people called hero/heroine to the person who portrayed a similar character in reel life where a person has great qualities like intelligence and bravery. And shows that he was doing justice to the poor and weaker people to get their rights. After watching such character people start admiring that character and eventually a person who performs that character becomes their hero/heroine and people start following him/her with the assumption that he/she has similar qualities too in real life also. ( e.g. intelligence, honesty and kindness ) And the problem starts from here.

Why it is important to whom people consider heroes?

When many people start following one person and start to considering as their hero, that person gets invisible power. What that person belive and what opinion he/she has is now consider very seriously and given very much importance. (e.g. recently many Bollywood celebrities had given their opinion on CAA law which was passed by the government. In reality, they actually neither had complete detail of the matter, nor they had any expertise to understand. Though their opinion had covered more in media than real intellectual persons who had knowledge of that matter, who knows history and importance of that law.) 

The importance they were getting because of the invisible power they get by their followers who are considered them as their heroes/heroines. Not only invisible power but they also get VIP treatments. They enjoy priority at all public and private places and an invitation to government events and media debates.

Today in India this power has given to actors, dancers and sportsmen rather than real heroes like army personal, an honest politician( Yes they also exist but they never become that famous and as they do not has this power, not have money and because of that their actions, and words not matter as much as one uneducated actor/actresses words matter), a doctor, an engineer or a just common person who has the expertise in the particular field. (Like a person who has done something which not ever done in your community, being an engineer/doctor or top in school or college)

This actor/actresses (and sports persons) use their influence to promote some group of people (nepotism, it also exists in the sport too) and selectively raise the issue which helps them in their upcoming films rather than rasing concern for common people's problems. Mostly they have no knowledge of ground reality and neither they have the intention to support weak and poor people. 

In fact, in the entertainment field many people are educated and helpful but not as famous as others, and because of that their opinion does not matter as much as other famous personalities. (Recent example is Sushant Singh Rajput and sonu sood) Though today so-called stars or heroes has their own PR teams (public relationship team, which guide them for their public statements and what stand should be taken on an ongoing matter so that it helps them in their upcoming films and maintain their image in public) which guide them for their opinion, this stars' opinion considered more seriously like they are actually worried and has all information. But in reality, they give a different statement for the same situation (which called hypocrisy) which depends on whose government is present and how they get benefit in the next films. But not take stand for people who considered them as their heroes and followers. (Recently many Bollywood stars given their opinion on social media that people should not link Sushant Singh Rajputs' suicide with anyone because there is no suicide note, but the same people have a different opinion in case of Rohith Vemula case)

So before considering someone as a hero or start following him/her make sure that person deserves it. In fact, the power that the public has (by which they can make anyone famous) should be used for an honest person who is intelligent and has the ability to understand what is right and what is wrong. It is people's responsibility to whom they are making their heroes.

How this public power can work for the public?

This invisible power can do many wonders for common people if power is given to the correct person. One of the bigger examples is Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is one of them who convinced people at that time that, Indian people could fight against Mughal sultans who were ruling India and prosecuting particular religious people who are native of the country. People start following him. Because of his great qualities people believe him and consider him as their hero. He was one of the Indian rulers at that time who shows the path and even after his death, specially Maratha people continue to follow him to get self-rule in India from invaders. Because common people were with them, the successor of Shivaji Maharaj had done a miracle which was considered impossible and the Maratha empire covered a very large area of today's India as shown in the below map of 1760. (even Red fort of Delhi also won by them and the Mughal king was rule Delhi under Maratha rule at that time. So before British rules in India, most of the part of India already free from invaders and ruled by Maratha.)

Maratha Empire

Similarly, Lokmany tilak, Subhas Chandra bose, also got this power by people support and they always used it for the nation and for the people of India. Mahatma Gandhi also able to fought freedom movement because of this power only. Britisher had given him more important, not because they were afraid of Mr. Gandhi, but because people of India were considering him as their hero and ready to do what Gandhi asked to do them.

The same power can destroy the common people's life too. And the best example is Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and his family. (Read book Nehru's 97 Major Blunders By Rajnikant Puranik) Some blunders did by them still have an effect on people's day to day life in India. And how Rahul Gandhi is misusing this power is everyone seeing nowadays. Pakistan is also a great example of having the wrong people as their heroes. (Recently Pakistan's Prime minister said Osama bin laden is a martyr. Pakistan actually a country which had made for Indian Muslims and it was India's part only but how the difference between two countries has widened since independence, shows that how important it is for any community to whom, they consider their heroes).

These are some big example but at a small level also this can give great impact. If one doctor or engineer who faces many challenges in life and later becomes successful, considered as a hero at a community level then the next generation of that community definitely gets the right way to get success and deal with challenges. it can lift the whole community.

So make sure from today that our next generation is get educated that, who should be called heroand heroine, and actor or actress should be considered as entertainer only. 

An actor/actress can be a hero, but not all actor and actress are heroes

By Manish Joshi | Writer | Engineer