There’s something magical about being a child, adults will sigh and say. Childhood offers the unbridled pleasure of possibilities — to dream, play and change the world! Children often imagine themselves to be on adventures where they are invariably the superheroes.
An integral part of a child’s world, superheroes beckon you from TV screens, 3D cineplexes, and mobile phones. Writers spin imaginative, wonderful and powerful characters who become children’s friends and role models for life.
And like a good friend, superheroes too teach them something. Children, who are watching them carefully, are absorbing and picking all the right lessons from them.
Blessed with creative and imaginative thoughts, these kids can sometimes come up with the quirkiest come-backs and solutions for everyday problems. Ahead of Children’s Day (November 14), kids share with us which superhero they would like to ape and bring about a change in society.
TO BE A GOOD LEADER
Paras Dutt wants to be fair, just and be a good leader, just like his favourite superhero. Guess who? The student of J D Tyler School, says, “Thor is from another universe altogether, but he still somehow understands the ways of human beings and feels for us. Whereas we do not treat our fellow human beings nicely and don’t understand them,” says the Delhi boy.
Thor belongs to the Marvel Comic Universe and his leadership qualities have impressed Paras. He points out that the character of Thor not only stands for endurance, valour and strength but also for fair leadership and that is something the Indian society desperately needs.
“Thor is at war with his brother because of the latter’s wrong-doings. The superhero can tell the right from the wrong and punish even if the person is from his family, to bring justice. This is something I want to follow. I want to be fair with people,” says the 12-year-old.
If Paras had the power to bring to life any hero, it would definitely be Thor. “I want to stand up for what is right and be able to bring justice like my favourite hero. Just like Thor carries a hammer with him all around, I want to carry good deeds with me, spread peace and keep the bad stuff at bay,” he says.
UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL
Why should all superheroes be men? Can’t they be women? That’s why Hyderabadi girl, Ameya Gayathri admires Gamora.
“Gamora is a woman and that is her biggest superpower. Her perspective of life, the way she feels about people around her and her ability to stand up against the mightiest of the force, teaches us what all a woman can actually do if she sets her mind to it,” says Ameya.
Gamora from the Marvel Comics, is not your regular superhero. “Gamora is an all-rounder, she loves her home, travels across galaxies to find out the truth and most importantly stands up for herself. I wish every woman was like Gamora when it comes to bravery and standing up for their friends and family and voice their opinions clearly,” says the student of Sri Satya Sai Vidya Vihar.
Ameya points out that just like Gamora, she too is aware that the world is in danger and every single effort taken can help prevent disaster. “So start by believing in yourself, unleash your potential to do good to others, even if they are mean to you,” says the 12-year-old.
DON’T MISUSE POWER
How can we forget Spiderman, the eternal favourite of many? He is a regular college kid, who is made fun of by his peers. Ripudaman Raj, from Vibgyor High, Lucknow, can relate with the superhero because of this aspect of his personality. “Spiderman is made fun of in school, he is worried about his studies and exams. Even then he wants to save the city he is living in from the villains,” points out Ripudaman.
Like his superhero, Ripudaman too wants to fight the villain of pollution. “My city is facing the problem of pollution. The situation is getting worse by the day, we are engulfed in a thick smog and people are falling ill,” says the 13-year-old boy.
The teenager observes that his hero doesn’t damage property or hurt people in his encounters with the evil people.
“Spiderman tries to resolve the matters peacefully at first. I also want to follow this pattern, telling people about the harm if they don’t change their habits. If they don’t agree, then I will fight and defeat them by using power of fines, penalties and jail terms,” he says.
Spiderman often says, ‘With great powers, comes great responsibility’ and that’s what the Lucknow boy likes. “Spiderman doesn’t misuse his power. He can punish people who bully him using his power but he doesn’t do so. Superpowers must be used for the benefit of all and not for personal gains,” he points out. Looks like Ripudaman has learned his lesson correctly!
NO ONE IS PERFECT
Another Spiderman fan is Parth Bhargav. What Parth likes about Spiderman is that he is not perfect, just like us.
“I hope that people will sooner or later actually learn that it is okay not to be perfect, but instead concentrate on becoming a good human being. I think that it is more important to be a good human being rather than just being successful,” says the Bengaluru boy.
“We all make mistakes and we learn from them and emerge winners and that’s when the victory smells sweet,” he adds.
Parth, who studies in National Public School, says that just like Spiderman, he wants to give hope to people when things go wrong.
BE HUMBLE AND POLITE
Thirteen-year-old Rhibhav Pal from Mumbai roots for Bruce Wayne. He says that Bruce Wayne is a bigger superhero than his masked counterpart Batman. “We all know the background that Bruce comes from and though he has been through so much pain, he does not wish the same for other people. He is willing to help people and children in need,” says Rivabh.
Bruce’s willingness to help others is what Rivabh admires and he also hopes to be like his superhero, humble and polite to others.
“If I gain superpowers, I will make sure that laws are followed and criminals are punished quickly and effectively. Although Bruce is super rich, he is still humble and polite to people. It is a quality that many people these days lack,” adds the student of Chatrabhuj Narsee School.
DON’T GIVE IN
Robinhood, the famous brigand, stole money from the rich and gave it to the poor. He helped the poor stand up to their oppressors. A Disney character based on a classic tale, Robinhood is considered a hero for many. Aanya Jadhav, a school girl from Pune, wants to be a good human being like Robinhood.
She believes that there is an urgent need to combat corruption and black money, and the only possible way of doing it is by taking a cue from Robinhood. No...no the 10-year-old is not suggesting us to steal to address inequality.
“We should not give into donations demanded by corrupt institutes. We should report them to the authorities. If the right people with the right intentions come forward, India too can become a developed country. Helping each other has become the need of the hour, we need equality in everything,” says the student of Dastur Girls School.
JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Ten-year-old Burhanuddin Munim admires Captain America and wishes to be like him. Burhanuddin finds Captain America’s story interesting, how he went from zero to a complete hero.
“He is my absolute favourite superhero. Captain America not only wanted to do something for his people and country but also pushed boundaries,” says the Mumbai lad.
Burhanuddin points out that Captain America is focused and determined to complete whatever task he takes up. He too would want to follow in his footsteps and deliver results. “Captain America never gives up even if the opponent is stronger than him. I think this tells us that it’s not enough to be muscular, but you also need to be intelligent to tackle certain aspects,” says the St Mary’s student.
Burhanuddin also wants to learn leadership qualities from his hero and fight corruption and stand for what is right to make the society a better place to live in. Join in the fight?
PROTECTING KIDS FROM BEING TRAFFICKED
Prem Jain is super fond of Flash and Green Lantern. The idea of Flash going back in time to fix up mess and Green Lantern’s abilities to create objects to fight evil has charmed the 11-year-old boy.
“Using these superpowers of Flash and Green lantern, I would want to avert tragedies like car accidents by getting the driver off the road to a safer place and also protect every child that is about to be trafficked by alerting their parents and taking them to a safe zone. I want our society to be free of child trafficking,” says Prem, who studies in Las Lomitas Elementary School, California.
Wise beyond his years, Prem says that when we talk about superheroes, we shouldn’t stop at discussing their superpowers. Superheroes have responsibilities, they have to protect and provide. “A good superhero would step in when he sees inequality in society. If I ever become a superhero I would want every child to access quality, top-notch education, not just the privileged few who can afford to go to private schools,” he explains.
