In Sabarmati Ashram's visitor's book, Trump doesn't mention Mahatma Gandhi
Donald Trump's first stop after he landed in Ahmedabad was Sabarmati Ashram, the place where father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi spent many years. Along with First Lady Melania Trump, he spun a charkha, exchanged smiles with the workers there, and then signed the visitor's book. Surprisingly, Trump didn't mention Gandhiji in his note, but thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a "wonderful visit".
President Trump has a tight schedule
POTUS is on a two-day trip to India, which will end on Tuesday. After addressing a crowd of thousands in Ahmedabad's Motera Stadium, he left for Agra, where he will visit the Taj Mahal. Later today, Trump will arrive in Delhi, meet some delegates tomorrow morning, attend a banquet in the evening before flying out. His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner are accompanying him.
PM Modi gave Trump and Melania a tour of ashram
As he arrived in India, Trump was welcomed by PM Modi. They exchanged hugs and then headed to Sabarmati Ashram. At the ashram, PM Modi explained how a charkha works. The US President also seemed intrigued with three monkeys, depicting Gandhiji's teachings to neither see, nor say or hear ill things. He then signed the visitor's book and apparently forgot all about Gandhiji.
He thanked his "great friend" PM Modi
In 2010, Obama had spoken about Mahatma Gandhi's greatness
In sharp contrast, Trump's predecessor Barack Obama wrote, "I am filled with hope and inspiration as I have the privilege to view this testament to Gandhi's life. He is a hero not just to India but to the world."
In speech, Trump showered love on India and PM Modi
Trump then headed to Motera Stadium while seeing performances that reflect India's rich culture. As he addressed the crowd at the world's largest cricket stadium, he started by saying, "Namaste India". He called US an ally of India. Praising PM Modi, Trump noted that the former's rise from being a tea-seller to leading India has been phenomenal. He appreciated India's democratic values too.
However, Trump mispronounced a few names!
Trump's short speech, however, was not without gaffes. He mispronounced a couple of words and was called out by BBC. He called legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar "Suuchin Tendulkar", Chaiwalla was called "Cheewallah", Bollywood classic Sholay became "Shojay" and the Vedas were pronounced as "Vestas". The most embarrassing gaffe was Trump calling Swami Vivekananda, the beloved spiritual Guru, as Swami Vivekamanan.
