‘’MY upcoming book is on GREAT MEETINGS AND THOSE IMPOSSIBLE SCEPTICS’’, says UTPAL Chatterjee

Do read of my exclusive albeit unscheduled meeting with the late Princess Diana, at her initiative, that lasted all of three and a half hours when she was down in Calcutta in the early 1990s.This meeting was spoken of at length when BBC World Service interviewed me for over an hour when the news of Mother Teresa’s passing was broken. The interview broke all BBC records for its length because it went beyond an hour to discuss all aspects of the nun who was eventually canonised and is now a Saint. When Princess Diana was here, she inaugurated the new offices of the British Deputy High Commission and then decided to visit the Mother House apart, of course, from spending as much time as she possibly could with the tiny children who were under the care of the Missionaries of Charity. Thereafter,we spent some quality time together, thanks to her having asked me earlier to accompany her during her visit there. A lot of what she told me was in confidence. A lot of prominent people I have been privileged to meet both in India and abroad, including 21 Heads of State and nine Nobel Laureates apart from some amazing legends, have said quite a bit in confidence and off the record. The fact that I kept my word and promised that nothing would ever slip out from my end has paid good dividends and has helped me travel this distance in life. Indeed,the values that I imbibed from my parents, teachers and some remarkable elders have helped me more than I can explain. Both in real life, in journalism ( both in the print and electronic media) and in so many assignments that I have taken up after being appointed to ( e.g.”outstanding “Sheriff of Calcutta and its first citizen), I have pursued truth, remained conscientious and acted both with responsibility and without fear. Yes,with a clear conscience, grit and determination, one can climb seemingly insurmountable heights. Of course, there is Almighty God who always responds to your prayers and shows you the right way. I have learned some valuable lessons too. Never listen to doubting Thomases, armchair critics and discouraging sceptics. Nothing,absolutely nothing is there to stop you if you are determined to succeed.  P.S.My meetings with some of the outstanding personalities, everyone a role model, would appear in due course. Utpal Chatterjee*