When we were children, Muslims, Christians and Hindus were our neighbours. All of us were poor. I have grown up with them. We didn't have proper clothes to wear or fulfil their basic needs. Despite this, people used to help each other. We were all like a family. A function in 1 family meant that the entire neighbourhood was involved in the preparation. During events like marriages, we all used to do all sorts of work, from erecting pandal to cooking food. Now we don't see such kind of brotherly love and respect for each other. Our minds have become so corrupt that we have started labelling and stereotyping people based on their caste and religion. Fear has replaced love. Who instilled this fear? Nobody is bothered to take out this fear. "Does Modi have the guts to take out this fear? We are on the wrong path. Sangh Parivar is on a wrong path. We need to guide people that all of us are creation of god… children of Bharat Mata.

Before moving to Bombay, I used to help my neighbours. For every small errand, they would call me. I have helped pregnant woman in the locality to reach hospital when they were in labour pain. When I was going to Bombay, they all had come to see me off and their eyes had welled up with tears. That was the kind of attachment and bonding we had with each other. Those days have gone. Leaders are not following Raja Dharma. They are doing anything and everything for votes. Can't they live without power? Were Mahatma Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan, Motilal Nehru, Vinoba Bhave in power? Is Sonia Gandhi in power today? Everybody is interested in dividing people on caste lines and rule. This will cause irrepairable damage to the social fabric of the society.

Though we were poor, there was no dearth of love and affection among people. Entire Coast was like that. Now we find a lot of anger, animosity in the Society. People especially youngsters are being incited. Fear is being instilled amongst people. We should understand that this hostility towards each other will destroy us. When we will learn this? I have been telling this wherever I go. Even in the UN Assembly I have said the same thing.

When I was Minister, industrialists used to send gifts and fruits to all MPs. An MP from Andhra Pradesh used to send fruits from his farm to all MPs. Dr. Balaram Jakhar, former Speaker, too used to send fruit baskets to all MPs. But, none of these crossed my house gate. I would politely refuse to accept any of these. Ghulam Nabi Azad was suffering from ulcer and he used to take medicine for the same. I was also suffering from ulcer. Once I asked him about the medicine he was taking. Next day he sent the medicine to my house. I wrote down the name of the tablet and returned the medicine he had sent. He remembers this incident whenever we meet now. "This fellow is an idiot. One shouldn't be so honest," he used to tell me. Sonia Gandhi has also said the same thing about my honesty on many occasions.

There are people who told me that too much of honesty is not good. But this is my life and I am living it the way I like it. I am not saying everybody should lead a life like me. But our life should be worth emulating by someone else.