INDIA: US President Donald Trump landed at Ahmedabad to a red-carpet welcome and a warm hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday before setting off on a roadshow, first to the Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram on the Sabarmati riverfront and later to Motera stadium.
Trump, who has been excited about the roadshow and the huge reception at the 1.1 lakh-seat cricket stadium, is accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka and Son-in-law Jared Kushner.
 India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces US President Donald Trump upon his arrival at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad yesterday. - AFP |
“Your visit is definitely going to further strengthen the friendship between our nations,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted ahead of Trump’s arrival.
Tens of thousands of people, many of them wearing white hats saying “Namaste Trump” or cardboard masks of Trump, have lined up along the route to the giant stadium to welcome the US President.
Trump and First Lady Melania were expected to fly to the Taj Mahal to watch the sunset.
The “Namaste Trump” rally, payback for a “Howdy Modi” event in Houston last year in front of cheering Indian-Americans where Trump likened Modi to Elvis Presley. “We hope the US liberalises its visa regime for skilled workers. They need it and India has too many young skilled and talented people,” said student Maunas Shastri.
Preparations have been feverish for the visit, with workers rushing to finish the stadium and building a wall that locals said was to hide a slum. Stray dogs, cows and monkeys have been moved away.
Parts of the Taj Mahal, the white marble “jewel of Muslim art” according to UNESCO, were given a mud-pack facial to remove stains while efforts were undertaken to lessen the stench of the adjacent river.
Trump tweeted en route to India -- in Hindi -- that he was “eager to come to India” while Modi responded by saying that “guests are next to God”, a well-known saying.
Trump has called India the “tariff king” and said before the visit that Asia’s third-largest economy has been “hitting us very, very hard for many, many years”.
Rather than a wide-ranging trade deal, reports said Trump and Modi may instead ink smaller agreements covering Harley-Davidson motorcycle imports and American dairy products, as well as defence pacts.
Also on the cards could be the supply of six nuclear reactors, the fruit of a landmark atomic accord in 2008.
- HINDUSTAN TIMES, AFP