Chandraswamy Melts Iron Lady

According to former Indian Former Minister Natwar Singh, who was India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK at the time, Chadraswamy met with Thatcher in her office at the House of Commons in 1975 soon after she became leader of the opposition. She was so impressed by his powers that she held a second meeting with him at Singh’s home at which she agreed to wear a special red dress and a battered talisman around her wrist.

Singh told London’s Daily Mail that Chandraswamy predicted that she would become prime minister in three to four years and retain the position for nine, 11 or 13 years. Thatcher went on to become prime minister four years later and held the job for 11 years.

At the 1979 Commonwealth Summit in Zambia Singh approached Thatcher, commenting, “Our man was proved right.” It do not go down too well with Thatcher. “For a moment, she seemed flustered,” The Mail quoted Singh. “Then, she took me aside and said: ‘High Commissioner, we don’t talk about these matters.’”