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Margaret Alva is general secretary of the Congress

What does spirituality mean to you?
It is one’s relationship with God which transcends religion and other beliefs. God has been a dominant factor in my life, with the awareness that there is a power beyond me, in a form or another.

Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?
Yes, I am a Christian and a believer. All my life, in my darkest moments, when everybody would fail me, I felt this supreme being guiding me and giving me hope. It is so much easier to walk the path of life knowing that someone is there listening to you, giving you answers and strength, taking your hand and leading you on. Without that faith I would have felt such a vacuum in my life. And on my own, I could have never achieved all that I have.

Of course, prayers are not always answered immediately. But this does not mean that God has failed me. I have learnt over time that answers are delayed when God wants you to wait, as He has other plans for you. It is simply meant that way, and I accept it.

Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?
I always say that we have a destiny as designed and willed by God and we do it as long and as best as we can.
As a child, I did not know or think I would be in politics. I definitely had leadership inclinations since I was a debater and always ended up class prefect in school. Later on I also was very active in the students’ movements. There I met my husband who came from a highly political family in Delhi. His parents had been the first couple in Parliament; they had been in and out of jail during the freedom struggle. So I married into politics. One does not choose to join politics; circumstances bring you in, as if led by God’s hand.

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