India Pours on Pagentry for Trump      02/24 06:21

   Basking in adulation from a massive, colorful crowd, President Donald Trump 
and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi lavished each other with praise Monday 
in a reaffirmation of U.S.-India ties as the subcontinent poured on the 
pageantry in a joyful welcome for the U.S. president.

   AHMEDABAD, INDIA (AP) -- Basking in adulation from a massive, colorful 
crowd, President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi lavished 
each other with praise Monday in a reaffirmation of U.S.-India ties as the 
subcontinent poured on the pageantry in a joyful welcome for the U.S. president.

   More than 100,000 people packed the world's largest cricket stadium in 
Modi's home state to give Trump the biggest rally crowd of his political 
career. The event was the pinnacle of the day's enviable trio of presidential 
photo-ops, and was sandwiched between Trump's visits to a former home of 
independence leader Mohandas Gandhi and a tour of the famed Taj Mahal.

   Nearly everyone in the newly constructed stadium in Ahmedabad in western 
India sported a white cap with the name of the event, "Namaste, Trump" or 
"Welcome, Trump," and roared for the introductions of both leaders. 

   But miles away in the capital of New Delhi, Indian police used tear gas and 
smoke grenades to disperse a crowd of clashing protesters hours before Trump 
was due to arrive, as violence broke out over a new citizenship law that 
excludes Muslims. Anti-Trump street demonstrations also erupted in Delhi, 
Kolkata, Hyderabad and Gauhati, but not in the city where Trump was hosted.

   Embarking on a whirlwind 36-hour visit, Trump opened his speech in Ahmedabad 
by declaring that he had traveled 8,000 miles to deliver the message that 
"America loves India, America respects India and America will always be 
faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people."

   The boisterous scene featured musicians on camels and a musical medley of 
Bollywood hits and Trump's campaign rally playlist, including numerous Elton 
John songs that seemed to puzzle most of the crowd. Trump basked in the raucous 
reception that has eluded him on many foreign trips, some of which have 
featured massive protests and icy handshakes from world leaders. In India, he 
instead received a warm embrace --- literally --- from the ideologically 
aligned and noted hugger Modi. 

   The sun-baked city of Ahmedabad bustled as Trump arrived, its streets 
teeming with people eager to catch a glimpse of the American president. Newly 
cleaned roads and planted flowers dotted the roads amid hundreds of billboards 
featuring the president and first lady Melania Trump. Thousands lined his 
motorcade route, shy of the up to 10 million that Trump speculated would be on 
hand.

   His first stop was Gandhi's home, where Trump donned a prayer shawl and 
removed his shoes to create the incongruous image of a grandiose president 
quietly walking through the humble ashram. He inspected the spinning wheel used 
by the famed pacifist and looked at a statue of monkeys representing Gandhi's 
mantra of "See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil" before departing for a far 
more boisterous setting: the mega-rally at the world's largest cricket stadium.

   Trump's motorcade traveled amid cheers from a battery of carefully picked 
and vetted Modi loyalists and workers from his Bharatiya Janata Party who stood 
for hours alongside the neatly manicured 22-kilometer (14-mile) stretch of road 
to accord the president a grand welcome on his way to the newly constructed 
stadium. Tens of thousands of police officers were on hand to keep security 
tight and a new wall has come up in front of a slum, apparently to hide it from 
presidential passers-by.

   On the way to the stadium, Trump's motorcade crossed a river where a barge 
was emblazoned with "TRUMP" and onlookers chanted "Modi!" The stadium was 
packed with revelers, many of whom sported Trump and Modi masks, as they sat in 
80-degree heat. Scores of attendees, particularly those sitting in the sun, 
streamed out before Trump finished his 27-minute speech.

   The "Namaste Trump" rally was, in a way, the back half of home-and-home 
events for Modi and Trump, who attended a "Howdy Modi" rally in Houston last 
year that drew 50,000 people. Trump lavished praise on both Modi and the 
democracy he leads, touting an effort to lift residents out of extreme poverty, 
saying "India gives hope to all of humanity."

   Trump, whose foreign visits typically are light on sightseeing, told 
reporters traveling with him that the stadium event was "fantastic." He said he 
looked forward to his first visit to the Taj Mahal, the immense white marble 
17th century mausoleum on the bank of a river in the city of Agra.

   "I hear it's incredible," Trump said of the Taj Mahal. "I think it's going 
to be amazing."

   Stories in local media warn of the monkeys that inhabit the landmark and 
pester tourists for food and, on occasion, menace both visitors and 
slingshot-carrying security guards.

   Images of American presidents being feted on the world stage stand in 
contrast to those of their rivals in the opposing party slogging through diners 
in early-voting states and clashing in debate. This trip, in particular, 
reflects a Trump campaign strategy to showcase him in his presidential role 
during short, carefully managed trips that provide counter-programming to the 
Democrats' primary contest and produce the kinds of visuals his campaign can 
use in future ads. His aides also believe the visit could help the president 
woo tens of thousands of Indian-American voters before the November election.

   The visit also comes at a crucial moment for Modi, a fellow populist, who 
has provided over a steep economic downturn and unfulfilled campaign promises 
about job creation. When Trump touches down in Delhi later Monday, he will find 
a bustling, noisy, colorful capital that also is dotted with half-finished 
construction projects stalled due to disappearing funding.

   The president will conclude his whirlwind visit to India on Tuesday in the 
capital, including meetings with Modi over stalled trade talks and a gala 
dinner. The two nations are closely allied, in part to act as a bulwark against 
the rising influence of China. Trump announced at the stadium that India would 
soon buy $3 billion of American military equipment.

   But trade tensions between the two countries have escalated since the Trump 
administration imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium from India. India 
responded with higher penalties on agricultural goods and restrictions on U.S. 
medical devices. The U.S. retaliated by removing India from a decades-old 
preferential trade program.

   Trump voiced optimism that a deal could be reached but also lightheartedly 
told the rally crowd about Modi: "Everybody loves him, but I will tell you 
this. He's very tough."

   Eyes will also be on whether Trump weighs in on the protests enveloping 
India over a new citizenship law that provides a fast track to naturalization 
for some migrants who entered the country illegally while fleeing religious 
persecution, but excludes Muslims, raising fears that the country is moving 
toward a religious citizenship test. Passage has prompted large-scale protests 
and a violent crackdown.

   Trump has refrained from publicly rebuking world leaders for human rights 
abuses during his overseas trips. He made no specific mention of the 
citizenship debate during the rally, but included passing references to 
religious tolerance for all faiths, including Islam. He also specifically 
referred to the United States' success combating "radical Islamic terrorism," 
particularly originating from India's longtime rival, Pakistan.


(KR)