Margaret Thatcher and Chandraswami

The Hindu carries a fascinating piece by K Natwar Singh on an encounter between the late Margaret Thatcher, former British PM, and godman Chandra Swami.

Apparently, the Godman predicted that Thatcher would go on to become PM and that she might remain PM for 9, 11 or 13 years. The circumstances in which this forecast was made are interesting. At the first meeting that Singh set up between the two of them in London, the godman floored Thatcher with his extra-sensory powers:

He gave Mrs. Thatcher five strips of paper and requested her to write a question on each. She obliged, but with scarcely camouflaged irritation. Chandraswamy asked her to open the first paper ball. She did. He gave the text of the question in Hindi. I translated. Correct. I watched Mrs Thatcher. The irritation gave way to curiosity. Next question. Again bull’s eye. Curiosity replaced by interest. By the fourth question the future iron lady’s demeanour changed. She began to look at Chandraswamy not as a fraud, but as a holy man indeed. My body language too altered. Last question. No problem. I heaved a sigh of relief. Mrs Thatcher was now perched on the edge of the sofa. Like Oliver Twist, she asked for more. Chandraswamy was like a triumphant Guru. He took off his chappals and sat on the sofa in the lotus pose. I was appalled. Mrs Thatcher seemed to approve.

Mrs Thatcher then requested a second meeting with Swami at which he made his prophesies about her becoming PM.