We had a history teacher whose class was welcomed by everyone - and all for different reasons. There were those who loved it when it was time for his class because for them it literally meant a free period - he never opened any history book as far as I can remember. For many it meant a time for a quiet nap or may be a time to pass chits around. There were very few like me who liked it because he used to come up with some gems - provocative words and ideas that made sense. One of his starting statements I can remember was "Gandhiji was not great, Subhash Chandra Bose was not brave......." - may be not in those exact words but very close. He also emphasized that if we - i.e. the students of that class had faced difficult circumstances we too could be counted amongst be greats. In view of the mindset of Indians of 30 years ago, this was as close to treason as one could get without actually selling secrets to the enemy and many viewed his statements as not quite sane.

He would try to force us to debate on such topics - we rarely obliged as it would mean too much effort during what had in our minds become an unofficial free period. He, of course would continue speaking on his own and testimony that it stuck in the mind of at least one of his students is that I am referring to it today. Also, looking back at his style I think he would have made a great blog writer!

Putting aside our penchant for idolizing icons and raising them on to a pedestal, was M K Gandhi really born great? Was SC Bose really born a firebrand rebel? I would say not. I would say that my history teacher Mr. Itteyara's contention that they were made great by the circumstances is correct.

Why is Gandhiji or Martin Luther King or SC Bose considered great? The reason clearly is the way they dealt with impossible situations and unpardonable injustices, conquered them and in doing so inspired millions to fight for themselves against oppression. They saw something very wrong and found ways to correct those wrongs often making personal sacrifices in the process. What distinguished them from the millions who were facing the same circumstances was their reaction to the prevailing conditions. Where all others lived their lives trying to avoid the injustice or minimize its effects, these people took it upon themselves to fight against it - not for themselves but for all.

So now, were they born great? No. Are they great? Yes.

Are we great? Sadly the answer for most of us is a resounding NO. Can we be great? The answer here is a definitely resounding YES.

There are many injustices still being perpetrated and people suffering those continue to suffer because no one has chosen to react against the circumstances in a certain way. Of course the "us against them" was much easier to identify in those times because the oppressors were outsiders who had taken control of the land. Today it is not easy to identify the "them" as they are all from amongst "us". Unfortunately, the trend now is to identify the "them" as the current government. This is unbelievably shortsighted as the party in power has been put there by us.

We need to realize that the 'evil' which we have to fight has not been put there by the government of the day but by elements among us. If the governments are to be blamed then they should be blamed for not reacting effectively against these evils. The evil today is hidden within our denizen and therefore can only be fought from within.

Greatness today might not get iconized like it was during the freedom struggle but the need for it is urgent. Just the thought that there are potentially a 100 crore with seeds of greatness in them is a mind boggling concept. That this greatness exists is without doubt. Whether it will germinate into the spotlight is the question.