New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump will arrive in Ahmedabad on Monday for the first leg of his maiden trip to India during which he will visit Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, take part in a 22-km roadshow with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and jointly address over a lakh people at a cricket stadium. He will then head to Uttar Pradesh with his wife, Melania, to see the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra.
Trump, also accompanied by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and the top brass of his administration, will get a taste of India’s cultural potpourri during a Gujarat itinerary high on symbolism, especially after the bonhomie between the two leaders at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston last September.
"I look forward to being with the people of India. We are going to have many millions and millions of people. It's a long trip. I get along very well with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. He is a friend of mine," Trump told reporters outside the White House before his departure for India.
"I had committed to this trip a long time ago. I look forward to it. I hear it's going to be a big event...the biggest event they ever had in India. That's what the Prime Minister told me. It's the biggest event they ever had," he said. "It's going to be very exciting. I am going to be there for one night."
Trump, scheduled to arrive at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport at 11:40 am on Monday, will participate with Modi in roadshows on his way from the airport to Sabarmati Ashram and from there to the newly-built Motera cricket stadium where over one lakh people are expected to be present for the ‘Namaste Trump’ event.
Dance groups and singers from different states will perform on stages that will dot the 22-km route of the ‘India roadshow’ in the city that has been spruced up for Trump's visit. Huge billboards of the two leaders and replicas of historic places in Gujarat have also been placed along the roads Trump’s convoy will take.
More than 10,000 police personnel, besides officials of the United States Secret Service, and personnel of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Special Protection Group (SPG) have been deployed for the visit.
“India looks forward to welcoming Donald Trump,” Modi had said in a tweet earlier on Sunday. “It is an honour that he will be with us tomorrow, starting with the historic programme in Ahmedabad.”
Trump, the seventh US president to visit the country, also took to Twitter and said he was looking forward to being with his “great friends” in India as he retweeted a video in which his face was superimposed on the hit Indian movie-character Bahubali, showing him as a great saviour.
Modi will accompany Trump to the Sabarmati Ashram, home to Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-1930 during India's freedom struggle. Several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had visited the site in recent years.
Ashram secretary Amrut Modi said Trump will spend 15 minutes at the place.
A cultural extravaganza will be organised at the Motera stadium during the ‘Namaste Trump’ event where Trump and Modi will address the gathering. Bollywood singers Kailash Kher and Parthiv Gohil, and Gujarati folk singers Kirtidan Gadhvi, Gita Rabari, Purushottam Upadhyay and Sairam Dave will perform, said officials of the Gujarat Cricket Association.Onward to AgraTrump and his entourage will then fly to Agra, where they will be welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on his arrival at the Kheria airport at 4:30 pm.
Massive security has been deployed across the city, especially along the nearly 13-km route to be taken by Trump’s convoy from the airport to the Amarvilas hotel, and in and around the Taj.
According to the official schedule, Trump will arrive with his family at the Taj Mahal complex at 5:15 pm and spend about an hour at the famed 17th century mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He will then leave for Delhi for the main leg of the visit during which restricted and delegation-level talks between with Modi will be at Hyderabad House on Tuesday.
The tour is expected to significantly ramp up bilateral defence and strategic ties but unlikely to produce tangible outcome in resolving thorny issues like trade tariffs.
The nearly 36-hour-long visit by Trump is also set to send across a clear message of growing congruence of interests on major geopolitical developments in the region and beyond, particularly when China has been expanding its military and economic clout.Trump's itinerary on Day 2
On the morning of February 25, Trump and the First Lady will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. From there, they will go to Rajghat to pay homage at the 'samadhi' of Mahatma Gandhi.
This will be followed by talks between Trump and Modi at Hyderabad House, with the PM hosting a lunch for the US president following the talks.
In their talks, the two leaders are likely to focus on a wide variety of bilateral and regional issues including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism, energy security, religious freedom, proposed peace deal with Taliban in Afghanistan and situation in the Indo-Pacific, according to Indian and US officials.
Trump is accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and Energy Secretary Dan Broulliette.
In the afternoon, Trump is expected to attend certain private events at the US Embassy, including a roundtable with industry representatives.
In the evening, Trump will meet President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where a banquet will be hosted. Trump will depart from India later that evening.(With inputs from PTI)
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