Subramanian Swamy is an Indian politician, economist and statistician. Before joining politics, he was a professor of Mathematical Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and at Harvard University in the USA. He is known for his Hindu nationalist views.

In this interview dated 1 June 1987, Swamy talks about Charan Singh’s strength of character and his Gandhian principles and Singh’s intellectual prowess (‘despite a simple looking exterior’). Swamy believes Charan Singh to essentially be a nationalist, with a profound understanding of national as well as international issues. Swamy recalls how Charan Singh as the caretaker Prime Minister summoned the Soviet ambassador when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and criticised the action strongly. His 1979 Independence Day speech from the Red Fort again highlights his nationalistic approach to international upheavals.