Oct. 6, 2010 ~ WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is likely to arrive in India on November 5 instead of November 7 as originally scheduled. He will leave Washington DC on the night of November 4 soon after the mid-term Congressional election where many pundits are predicting severe reverses for the Democratic Party.
He will be away from the US for almost 12 days, one of the longest tours during his presidency, touching India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, before returning to Washington DC on November 14.
The four-country visit involves major US friends and allies at a time when there is concern in Washington and Asian capitals over China's assertive stance. The trip, for now, also excludes Pakistan, Washington's notional ally, which typically agitates for a visit whenever US presidents travel to India, and is peeved if that does not happen.
First lady Michelle Obama is expected to accompany him on at least the first leg of his tour to India, contrary to earlier reports. But their children, Malia and Sasha, are likely to miss out on a holiday they were reported to have looked forward to, because they will not be allowed to skip school. Obama will be the sixth American President to visit India after (in preceding order) Presidents Bush, Clinton, Carter, Nixon and Eisenhower.
Save some of those firecrackers if you are a fan of Barack Obama and/or a votary of better India-U.S ties: The American President will arrive in India on Diwali night, at the tail end of the festival of lights.
The White House has advanced President Obama's visit to India by two days, according to sources. He will now be landing in India on the night of November 5, instead of November 7 as previously reported. He is also likely to make a meaningful gesture by flying directly to Mumbai, scene of the 26/11 terrorist attack initiated (according to Bob Woodward's book) by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
Obama is scheduled to address a U.S-India Business and Entrepreneurship Summit in Mumbai on November 6 and pay homage to victims of 26/11 terrorist attack before flying up north for the formal part of his visit.
As reported in these columns, Obama will also make a day-trip to Amritsar on November 7 before he touches New Delhi for a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Although the schedule could change, he is expected to address a joint session of the Indian parliament on November 8 before leaving for Indonesia on the second leg of his four-country tour.
In fact, Obama will leave Washington DC on November 4 night soon after the mid-term Congressional election, in which many pundits are predicting reverses for the Democratic Party. He will be away from the U.S for almost 12 days, the longest tour during his presidency, touching India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, before returning to Washington DC on November 14.
The four-country visit involves major U.S friends and allies at a time when there is concern in Washington and Asian capitals over China's assertive stance.
The trip, for now, also excludes Pakistan, Washington's notional and troubled ally, which typically agitates for a comparable and simultaneous visit whenever U.S presidents travel to India, and is peeved if that does not happen.
First Lady Michelle Obama is expected to accompany him on at least the first leg of his tour to India, contrary to earlier reports. But their children, Malia and Sasha, are likely to miss out on a holiday they were reported to have looked forward to, because they will not be allowed to miss school.
Obama will be the sixth American President to visit India after (in preceding order) Presidents Bush, Clinton, Carter, Nixon, and Eisenhower.
Obama trip a statement of US support to India: Hillary Clinton
08 Oct. 2010, Washington: The November trip to India by U.S. President Barack Obama will be another clear statement of American support and commitment to the U.S.-India relationship, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.
"The the President's visit in November will be yet another very clear statement of our support and our commitment to the relationship," Clinton told Naina Kidwai of the HSBC India in response to a question at the 12th annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit here.
"Look, I think our relationship with India, which I was very pleased to open up in the 90s and then followed by the work of my husband and his visit and then the follow-on work by the Bush Administration on the civil nuclear agreement is going from strength to strength. I mean, we are now implementing a very comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between us," Clinton said. [Obama trip a statement of US support - PTI]