The other day I was selling Shanti’s book at a stall. Three youngsters (probably 12 or 13-year-olds) came over and one of them stared at the book’s cover intently. He wanted to know if Shanti was real or not so I smiled and told him he needed to read the book to find out and I gave them each a copy. About an hour later they returned as they had all been reading the book. They had changed expressions on their faces as Shanti’s existence had now become a pressing issue to them all. The young man who had initially shown the most interest in the book now said with the greatest sincerity and gravity, ‘Does he (Shanti) really eat grass? Because if he does that would be the coolest thing ever!’

You see, deep down many youngsters today crave role models or heroes of the heart. Sure Spiderman and Harry Potter etc. are cool, but they are heroes of the mind or more specifically the imagination. Shanti is physically big, strong and powerful, but he is also wise, gentle, loving and caring; this is his real strength as this makes him a true hero of the heart. Shanti is a role model whose unselfishness nature youngsters can not only respect and admire, but also copy.