As Trump just boarded Air Force One for a 15 hour non stop flight to India, here are a few trivia about the visits of America Presidents to India jotted down from my memory.
1. Dwight Eisenhower (IKE) - The first US President to visit India. It was in the 1950s. Don't know anything more regarding his visit, except there was hardly any security around him when he visited the iconic Taj Mahal - A must of dignitaries in their first trips who don't visit India too often.
2. Richard Nixon - He visited in 1969. With India's tilting towards the then Soviet Union was gaining steam, the chemistry between Indira Gandhi and Nixon was as cold as the cold war. According to archives, he privately referred to her as not so flattering "that Bi**h".
3. Jimmy Carter - His visit to India in 1978 was at the peak of cold war. In an embarrassing moment the visiting American President apparently unaware that the microphone was switched on was caught saying that he doesn't have a good impression about the Indian PM Morarjee Desai and going to send a stern letter after getting back. After this the US Presidents decided to give India a pass in the 1980s and 90s.
4. Bill Clinton - He came in the year 2000 at the fag end of his 2nd term when an American President is considered as lame duck. The trip generated a lot of enthusiasm as an American President stepped on Indian soil after twenty two long years. Love him or hate him the Charmer-in-Chief enchanted his way into getting a rousing reception and rock star treatment by our MPs who rushed to shake hands with him. A lover Of Indian food he ate a stomach full before deciding to dump his waste in the toilet of Pakistan during his 4 hour halt at Islamabad on his way back home.
5. George Bush - I think it was year 2006 when came to India at a time his popularity was high in India compared to the rest of the world including home where his popularity was tanking. He wasn't as charismatic as his Bill Clinton, his predecessor, but meant business with his no nonsense straight forward Texan Cowboy approach.
6. Barack Obama - Arrived in India in the year 2009 within a year of his first term and danced to the Diwali celebrations charming the hosts. He promised a lot but returned back without delivering much of his promise. For a change the first lady Michelle Obama impressed with her immense people skill.
Obama's second trip as the guest of honor at India's Republic day parade on a rainy day was a media fiesta. But hardly anything tangible result came out from the trip.
As far as visits by Indian Prime Ministers to US are concerned, I think everyone of them visited the United States probably with the exception of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Charan Singh, V P Singh and Chandra Sekhar. More than anything else their short tenure in office prevented them from doing so.
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