In your younger days, you participated in the freedom struggle, as you told us that at a very tender age, at the age of 16, you were imprisoned. How did you endure the hardships at such a tender age?
The whole nation was fighting imperialism. Youth were embracing death. Some people were waging an armed struggle against foreign imperialism. Some were struggling to achieve independence by adopting peaceful means of non-violence. I was born and brought up in such an environment. It was natural that as I gained in years, I became a part of the movement. It is correct that I was imprisoned at the age of 16, but I still remember that I was kept in the children’s barrack. The amenities were less, but I did not have to stay there for many days. The Government could not prove the allegations against me. At that time participating in the freedom struggle was like performing a sacred duty. It helped me a great deal in moulding my public life in the future. We are free today. Now in the era of freedom, we have a chance to fulfill the dreams that we had seen earlier. Freedom is just a means, not an end. Freedom gives us the opportunity to fight exploitation and raise our voices against inequality and work for world peace. From the beginning, I got these values from my family, from outside the family and because of that I have been somewhat able to serve the country, humbly and successfully.