Not all heroes wear capes and not every hero does what she/he does for the limelight. In a fantastic tale of Bollywood coming to life, Shah Rukh Khan's character of Mohan Bhargava might have been inspired from the brave tale of a woman from Uttarakhand. Kalawati Devi Rawat brought electricity to her remote village in the hills and is now fighting against the timber mafia of the state. In the early 1980s, Kalawati had just been married and was finding it difficult after dark in her new village - Bacher. She led a group of women from the village and spoke to the government officials. The officials promised them that electricity would soon be made available to the village but like every other government department, they didn't fulfill their promise.

Mrs Rawat formed small groups of village women known as the Mahila Mangal Dal that patrolled the woods on foot to check the movement of the timber mafia. The groups also demolished local illicit breweries. They've faced an uphill battle for years but all their efforts are now bearing fruits as deforestation and alcoholism are at an all time low in the area. She has never had any formal education but she has shown more wisdom than any of the literate ones.

She has been a real-life hero who has led from example. Here's wishing that more of us take inspiration from her and do the same.