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Dr. M.S. Gill is Union sports and youth affairs minister and former Chief Election Commissioner.

What does spirituality mean to you?
This little globe of ours is only one amongst billions and billions, there are worlds beyond worlds, we do not know the beginning or the end of anything, we do not know where we came from and why we came, all religions have tried to explain it, but nobody yet has come back to tell us.
So only one thing is sure: with more than six billion humans crammed on this little planet, we should at least try and coexist as best as possible, which means living within certain parameters. Those parameters imply trying to live an ethical life, and that is what spirituality means to me. You try and live in such a manner that those who interact with you are comfortable with you --- and I do not mean human beings only.
When I grew up in Madhya Pradesh, there were countless tigers, panthers and other wild animals next to us. Today they are all killed and gone. Of all species, only humans kill wontedly. There is so much life on earth, and all its forms should be comfortable with us. That would be enough of an achievement.

Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?
There is obviously a force holding this universe altogether, that created it and so on --- but what is it? I would not know. Has it been there in an obvious way in my life? It would be hard to tell. I have had so many twists and turns which I could have never planned. But it could also be chance only.
The words of Shakespeare or Thomas Hardy do resonate with me when they say that a destiny shapes our ends and fate, or when Guru Nanak explains that things are happening beyond our control and beyond our understanding. As the famous Indian line goes: “you should only worry if something happens that is not to happen, but in fact, everything happens as meant to happen --- so why worry?”.
But ultimately, two things stand out for me: as Nanak would insist, nothing is permanent and one has to accommodate to everlasting change. And apart from that, as he also said, we just do not know. We cannot comprehend things so we cannot know.
Therefore, as I am a cautious man, I take some kind of insurance policy. No matter where I go, I visit the local church, or mosque, or temple, or Gurudwara, I shut my eyes and make a little prayer: “ô Shivji or ô Guru Nanak or ô Buddha or ô Christ or ô Muhammad, all of You, whoever You are, wherever You are, I am not a bad fellow, please take care of me, look after me”. I need to be cautious because if I go up there, and I prayed all along to one gentleman, the other one may have gotten angry with me! So I’d rather keep Them all on my side.

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