Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?
Well, I would definitely see a clear line and underlying theme throughout my life --- thriving to choose the righteous path and a just cause, striving to be a warrior and a winner. Was that obvious since my childhood? When growing up in the fifties in India, there was very little industry or private sector. One had to choose between being a bureaucrat, a professional or in the army. Coming from an army family, it was natural to take the military path. My grand-father had fought in World War I. He was wounded when barely 20 years’ old and spent the rest of his life, disabled, barely managing to sustain his large family. My father therefore grew up in the most humble circumstances, in a village next to Rawalpindi, in what is now Pakistan. He was a self-made man who also struggled to make ends meet. But my five siblings and I were brought up with very strong values, such as the determination to succeed and work hard, as well as with stories about our religion, our warriors, the sacrifices made by our gurus to defend the weak and the oppressed, to defend the faith. Part of it was also the understanding that beyond good intentions, one needs a weapon to defend the weak. So all of this combined in shaping my life and its purpose.

What is spirituality for you in your day to day life?
It is not about going regularly to a temple, praying every morning, or performing some ritual. It is about trying to be a good human being and constantly feeling the connection with my faith in my heart. With that spirit alive inside, I have always been pushed to do and be better. Despite the many challenges and difficult patches I went through, I never doubted God and never threw in the towel. I always fought on, determined to succeed.

... contd.