The Pakistani Spectator

According to the definition giving on yourdictionary.com, Hero is

1. Myth., Legend a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death
2. any person, esp. a man, admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, esp. in war
3. any person, esp. a man, admired for qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model
4. the central male character in a novel, play, poem, etc., with whom the reader or audience is supposed to sympathize
5. the central figure in any important event or period, honored for outstanding qualities

This thing comes to my mind as the 14^th August is coming nearer that what is the real definition of Hero in our mind. One can think of heroes the likes of Quaid-e-Azam, Gandhi, Allama Iqbal, Liaquat Ali Khan and Mother Theresa and also few names can comes also in other minds as well. In every mind the definition of hero is different and which might be a fact because the heroes of past might not be the heroes of present.

I was thinking that hero can be a person from rural area as well it can be a farmer or carpenter or ice breaker or a plumber or an electrician or any one. It might be you or me even but what come to my mind that how can we recognize amongst us. As we can observe around us if you asked today’s generation that who do you think is your hero… most of the replies you get either in shape of any film actor name or any sport personality .. Why don’t we get the names the likes of Dr. Abdul Qadir, Dr. Salim-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, and Dr. Ata-ur- Rehman …? Some of you might not agreed with me but that’s what I have observed that when ever I asked this question to the young generation same answer I got either Shahrukh Khan or Amir Khan or Shahid Afridi …. Its good to idolize some one but where this thing is going I can not visualize.