As one of India’s youngest Rajya Sabha MPs at the age of thirty-two, and a Minister of State in Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet at forty-two, Margaret Alva is among India’s longest serving Parliamentarians. She has held several important positions in the Government of India and the Congress party, and served as Governor of four states. Over the years, she has been witness to several events that have played an important part in the political narrative of our times—among them the Emergency, Indira Gandhi’s Chikmagalur election, Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and Sonia Gandhi’s entry into politics. Margaret Alva now lives in Bangalore with her husband.
