Mother Teresa’s nameplate, bearing the ‘IN’ sign, at Mother House. (Amit Datta)

Sunita Kumar was Mother Teresa’s closest confidante in Calcutta outside of Mother House. She speaks to Metro on the controversy regarding the Albanian government claiming Mother’s remains.

The thought of returning Mother’s remains to Albania is unthinkable.

Mother was in Calcutta since she was 18. Apart from a short visit of a few hours once during the last couple of years of her life, she hadn’t been to Albania. Even when her mother passed away, Mother didn’t go back.

Mother is too embedded in us to let her go. How can we let her? She’s OUR Mother. As I said, to let her go is unthinkable. It is a strange request.

It was always Mother’s wish to be at Mother House. Even today, at the House, it always shows ‘IN’ in front of Mother’s name on the board. We feel her presence all the time.

Mother was a karmayogi and this was her karmabhoomi. In India, even the word karma is holy. It forms the basis of our belief system, our values. Mother believed it.

We used to pray with her and what she used to tell us describes what a karmayogi she was. She once told me that I pray with my legs crossed, she prays while kneeling, but it doesn’t make any difference.

She said, you pray to your god, I will pray to my god, there is only one god. And then she used to say, what is prayer? Prayer is love for people.

Prayer is love for your neighbour; it is love for anyone around you. Prayer is all about love and service. And that was Mother’s biggest teaching.

We always knew she was a saint. Her work itself was a miracle.