I have reached a point in my life where I don’t think the doing matters any more. I am more concerned with the living. I have responsibilities towards my children. Ramola and I have a wonderful life here.

• If there is another political crisis, or emergency of the Gandhi family, and your phone rings again, will you come back? Because to some of us it seemed as if you didn’t care.

It is not that I don’t care. I draw a distinction between a political emergency and a national emergency. If there is an emergency concerning India I am always available. But as far as politics is concerned, it is best left to those who know it best... I have one regret — that we have not, in respect to our interests, defence and the security of India, attempted to go into any depth in the requirement of change...

• And your reports are still reports...

Reports are still reports, but even if those reports were inadequate...and I am not claiming any monopoly on competence or wisdom...the fact that we can continue to pretend that the world has not changed, that the concept of war has not changed, that weapons have not changed, the technology of war has not changed, men have not changed, aspirations have not changed, and all systems, procedures, concepts must continue as they did in 1947...

• Or the first world war... people say the last battle of World War I was won by India in Kargil.

... contd.