August 22, 1975 : Delhi

Satsvarupa: At 9:15 in the morning, Srila Prabhupada and several of his leading disciples arrived at the Prime Minister's home, where they were confronted by a formidable security check. Two days before, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh had been assassinated, and Mrs. Gandhi was rumored to be next. The guards at the outer gate decided that the foreigners could not go in; Srila Prabhupada alone could enter. In tiny, cramped handwriting, Srila Prabhupada had noted down in a small address book a list of points he wanted to discuss with Mrs. Gandhi.

1. Grant immigration for 500 foreigners
2. All M.P.'s initiated brahmanas
3. Sanjaya the King
4. Close slaughterhouses
5. Chanting
6. Meat-eaters - at home. No public meat eating.
7. Prostitution punishable
8. No religious group except Bhagavad-gita As It Is
9. All government officers must join kirtana at least twice a day
10. Support Krishna consciousness all over the world

The most pressing item was at the head of the list: Mrs. Gandhi should grant permanent visas to Prabhupada's Western disciples in India. Devotees were constantly being asked to leave the country to renew their six-month visas. The travel costs incurred and the disruption of the devotees' services seriously hampered ISKCON's work in India. The other points on Srila Prabhupada's list were scriptural directions for how the Prime Minister could make her leadership Krishna conscious.

As Prabhupada entered the room, Mrs. Gandhi stood up. Although she greeted him cordially and offered him a seat, he could immediately detect that she was distracted, fearful for her life. Her agreeing to see him, he felt, was an indication that she had some attraction for spiritual life, but he understood that on this visit at least, he could not introduce the extensive advice he had been contemplating.

Mrs. Gandhi complimented Srila Prabhupada on the work he was doing all over the world. "They are good boys," he replied, and he asked if she could arrange for permanent visas. She agreed but again mentioned her present anxiety. They soon ended their talk, and Srila Prabhupada left.