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Whether we are aware of it or not, from childhood onwards, through various phases of
life, we adopt role models. I said, ‘When you are growing up, say till the age of fifteen, the

best role model I can think of would be your father, your mother and your school teacher.’
They, to my mind, are the people who can impart the best guidance during this period. I
turned to the teachers and parents present there and told them what a big responsibility
they have. I personally believe the full development of a child with a value system can
only come from these people. In my own home, when I was growing up, I used to see
my father and mother say namaz five times a day, and in spite of their modest financial
resources, I found them always giving to the needy around. My teacher, Sivasubramania

Iyer, was responsible for persuading my father to send me to school setting aside financial
constraints. It is very important for every parent to be willing to make the effort to
guide children to be good human beings—enlightened and hard-working. The teacher,
the child’s window to learning and knowledge, has to play the role model in generating
creativity in the child. This triangle is indeed the real role model I can think of. I would
even go to the extent of saying that if parents and teachers show the required dedication

to shape the lives of the young, India would get a new life. As it is said: Behind the parents
stands the school, and behind the teacher the home. Education and the teacher–student
relationship have to be seen not in business terms but with the nation’s growth in mind. A
proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth.
These are qualities no law can enforce—they have to be nurtured ourselves.

The children enjoyed this answer though I don’t know whether the parents and teachers
got the message.

Another girl in all seriousness asked, ‘Every day we read in the newspaper or hear our
parents talk about atankvadis (terrorists). Who are they? Do they belong to our country?’

This question really shocked me. I myself was searching for an answer. They are our own
people. Sometimes we create them through political and economic isolation. Or they can
be fanatics, sometimes sponsored by hostile nations, trying to disrupt normal life through
terrorism. I looked at the audience, at the people sitting by my side, at the teachers, and at
the sky for an answer. I said, ‘Children, I am reminded of our epics, the Ramayana and
Mahabharata. In the Ramayana the battle is between the divine hero Rama and the

demon king Ravana. It is a long-drawn battle that finally Rama wins. In the Mahabharata,
there is the battle at Kurukshetra. In this fight between good and evil, Dharma wins
again. The battles are many but finally peace triumphs. In our times too we have seen this
battle between good and evil—for instance, the Second World War. It seems to me that
both good and evil will survive side by side. The Almighty does help them both to various
degrees! How to minimise the evil through our spiritual growth is a question that has
persisted throughout human history.’

On another occasion, I addressed a very large gathering of constraint: a limitation or restriction
students at St Mary’s School, Dindigul in Tamil Nadu on nurture: to care for and protect

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