Posted on 03/06/2006 8:05:42 PM PST by An_Indian
Rashtrapati Bhavan can overwhelm virtually anyone.
The breathtaking view of the dome as one rides up Raisina Hill, a glimpse of the Jaipur column, then the building itself, a majestic monument in two shades of sandstone.
When he arrived at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday morning to be accorded the ceremonial welcome India grants visiting heads of State, George Bush was, we guess, unprepared for the pomp and the pageantry that awaited him.
Back in July when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Washington, DC, the Americans greeted him with an impressive ceremony rarely seen in the Bush White House, bagpipers and all.
The Indians more than matched that welcome on Thursday morning with a smart guard of honour presented by the special contingent drawn from the three wings of the defence services and genuine warmth on the Indian side (despite a tiring night of hardball negotiations over the nuclear issue for the prime minister and his leading aides).
What took Bush and his entourage's breath away, we have it from a source travelling with the Texan, were President Kalam's bodyguards, all over six feet tall, astride their awesome steeds.
"It was so very impressive," the source informed us at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday night, "the men and their horses must be so well trained."
The surprises continued for the American leader when he arrived at the Presidential Palace for the State Banquet on Thursday night.
President Bush may have expected pleasant, unchallenging conversation at the end of a long and tiring day with his Indian counterpart. Instead, he was treated to a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation on India's energy and security needs by the scientist who currently makes Rashtrapati Bhavan his home. 'I will do what I can do to help India, Mr President,' Bush said at the end of Kalam's presentation.
That was just the beginning of an evening of surprises.
The dinner was not held in one of Rashtrapati Bhavan's stuffy banquet halls -- despite its magnificent facade, its innards reek sarkari -- but in the awesome setting of the Mughal Gardens under a clear sky, the heavens witness to a day when the historical alliance conceived nearly eight months ago was finally consummated. A meal set against the backdrop of Rashtrapati Bhavan all glitter in lights. Usually the Presidential palace is lit up only for Republic Day and Independence Day. Thursday marked the first time Rashtrapati Bhavan was lighted up for a visiting head of State.
The new location for a Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet -- the Mughal Gardens -- was launched last fortnight when one of President Bush's least favourite leaders -- French President Jacques Chirac -- came visiting. Herbicide sprays ensure that no mosquitoes trouble the guests at dinner.
Each of the 14 tables at Thursday's dinner was named for a flower that adorns the Mughal Gardens in full bloom.
The two Presidents sat at a table named Yellow Rose (others at the table included First Lady Laura Bush, Prime Minister Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur, Sonia Gandhi and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- arguably the two most powerful women on the planet -- Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil).
Before the Presidents emerged to greet the guests, who included the capital's movers and shakers and a few others drawn from other cities, much celebration was witnessed on the Indian side of the lawn.
Everyone associated with the negotiations on the Indian side -- National Security Adviser M K Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, Joint Secretary (Americas) at the ministry of external affairs Dr S Jaishankar (he has a PhD in physics and was much praised by Under Secretary Nicholas Burns, anchorman for the US side in the negotiations, for his tireless hard work and the clarity with which he explained the Indian position), T K A Nair, the prime minister's principal secretary and unarguably the most powerful civil servant in the land, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia -- accepted congratulations from many guests, especially the scientific contingent (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Director General R A Mashelkar, former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Dr K Kasturi Rangan and agricultural champion Dr M S Swaminathan) present for presumably ensuring that India got what it wanted from the Americans without seriously undermining its nuclear ambitions.
Much of the accolades were reserved for an unassuming man in a grey suit, apparently uncomfortable with the praise: Dr Anil Kakodkar, chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, whose interview to The Indian Express is seen as a turning point in the Indian government's position on the negotiations.
"You are the real hero!" one guest declared to Dr Kakodkar.
"Whatever you wanted, you have got," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel complimented the nuclear boss in Marathi.
Uncharacteristically, Dr Singh -- who usually seems stiff and uncomfortable at events such as these -- looked relaxed and relieved that history had come to be made under his aegis, accepting the many congratulations that came his way with a smile, only striking a cautious note when the congratulatory messages exceeded the boundaries of effusiveness and transgressed into the realm of virtual jingoism.
This thread is abt the State Dinner in the honour of President Bush accorded by India on March 03 at Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace).
Too bad Laura had to wear her washer-woman dress. That drab rag is awful!!!!
Welcome aboard FRiend!
Welcome!
Mr Bush may not have known it, but the meal served on Thursday night was a real surprise.
Earlier culinary experiences at Rashtrapati Bhavan have been disappointing, making one despair at the talent on the President's catering staff. For the visiting American leader, Rashtrapati Bhavan's chefs seem to have got their act together, serving up one appealing dish after another.
The only discordant note seem to have been struck by the absence of a cultural event at the dinner.
"The Americans packed so much at the State dinner for the prime minister," noted one guest who had been at the White House that July 18, 2005 night. "So why couldn't we have had something to show off our rich culture?"
Entertainment was provided by a naval band that played a medley of Indian and American tunes, including Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara and Dil De Key Dekho. As the dinner reached its conclusion, President Bush, accompanied by President Kalam and Prime Minister Singh, marched up to the band, thanked its members and posed for pictures with them, as a proud Admiral Arun Prakash beamed at his boys.
At the end of a memorable evening, what stayed was Bush's body language.
As one observed the lead table through the 90 minutes the dinner was in progress, what stood out was the American President's obvious bonhomie, whether it was in animated discussion with his Indian counterpart or in casual asides with the prime minister, who he described in an interview with Doordashan last week as 'really a decent fellow who is smart and capable.'
"Do you notice the body language?" an American guest at this correspondent's table (which was named Lily, one must add) pointed out, "it is remarkable."
Could you ping your list to welcome our new FRiend
India really did roll out the red carpet welcome for the President.
I wish Our media would have covered this very amicable and historic visit
Hi there, thanks for posting the pics. I've been enjoying all the articles and pictures regarding President Bush's visit to India (especially the pictures of the Indian military men in their dress uniforms)! It has also been great to hear the positive words from my Indian friends about the improving Indian-US relations.
Cheers!
WELCOME! I greatly enjoyed your first post . . . Thank you!
Welcome. It's too bad that our President has had so few occasions, such as this, to truly enjoy the office of the Presidency, but fate has ruled otherwise. It is so fine that your country and its government has afforded Mr. and Mrs. Bush the opportunity to enjoy themselves so thoroughly. May our nations and people grow in mutual respect and friendship.
That is a very nice touch
Welcome aboard. May your stay be both pleasant as well as informative. Nice article.
These are the men who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for this agreement
Ping to a new picture thread on Pres. Bush's recent visit to India....thought you all might like the pics posted here.
Thanks to our new FRiend, An_Indian, for this excellent thread. Welcome aboard.
The article is well-written, lively, and engaging to read. Coming from a part of the U.S. that has its own distinct style of English (the South), I appreciate the flavor of Indian English. It's worth preserving.
Thank you for the ping to another great thread on the historic trip to India by our President! I can't seem to get enough of them!
Welcome to Free Republic! What an awesome first post. Thank you so much!
I will second that!
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