The red carpet all the way

In terms of the logistical arrangements made, Clinton's visit was the "mother of all state visits" at least as far as security was concerned.

JOHN CHERIAN

WHEN President Clinton visited Athens earlier in the year, students and workers went on the rampage, targeting American multinationals and paralysing the Greek capital. They were protesting against the United States Government's policies. The U.S-led Nor th Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) bombings of Yugoslavia were still fresh in their memory. Clinton could not have been too pleased with that visit. But he is sure to take back fond memories of his trip to the Asian subcontinent. Crowds were kept out of his sight, and the few people he met were politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen or sections of the glitterati.

It was the "mother of all state visits" at least as far as security was concerned. Parts of Delhi, Dhaka, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Agra and Mumbai were put under a security blanket. Clinton was, after all, visiting the "most dangerous place" in the world. In Delhi some areas were virtually out of bounds for the "natives", and the telephone system in the city was tapped for weeks in advance. Security in many of the five-star hotels and public places was taken over by U.S. security men, marked by dar k glasses and ear phones.

The capital was given a face-lift. The number of beggars in the streets visibly declined. Anti-American slogans and posters put up by Left parties and progressive organisations were removed. Instead the "Stars and Stripes" and the "Tricolour" swayed side by side in New Delhi for three days. The Government and the Indian Chambers of Commerce had put up huge hoardings and banners welcoming Clinton. However, the Delhi administration was not as high-handed as the Chandrababu Naidu Government in Andhra Prade sh, which evicted destitutes from the streets of Hyderabad in preparation for the four-hour visit of the "great white hope".

The government went out of its way to see that the visit was a success. When Clinton visited the Taj Mahal, overzealous officials wanted the water level in the Yamuna to be raised so that grime and dirt would not be visible to the dignitary. But Harayana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala refused to release any water, which was needed more by the farmers.

Clinton's daughter Chelsea's wish to witness the spring festival of Holi was immediately met: none other than External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh received the First Daughter at Jodhpur, where she witnessed the festival, held appropriately in a palace .

Jaswant Singh had earlier created minor protocol problems by being present at the airport on the day Clinton arrived in New Delhi. As Clinton had not officially begun his visit to India, the task of receiving him was given to Minister of State for Extern al Affairs Ajit Kumar Panja. Panja's claim to fame was snatched by Jaswant Singh, who unexpectedly came to the airport tarmac to receive Clinton. Panja had reportedly to use his influence to get through the security cover and hand over the bouquet of yel low flowers he had personally selected for the visiting President.

Panja's eagerness to come in close contact with the U.S. President was shared by most of his fellow parliamentarians, except those belonging to the Left parties, as was illustrated by the virtual stampede in Parliament as members jostled with one another to greet Clinton after he finished his speech. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had ended his speech by telling the U.S. President that the Indian people would never forget him and that he in turn should not forget the Indian people. Media-savvy obse rvers however felt that by speaking in Hindi Vajpayee missed a great opportunity in explaining India's stand on key issues to the world when major television networks such as CNN and BBC were carrying Clinton's address to the Indian Parliament live. But the world was witness to the thunderous ovation Clinton got from the Indian parliamentarians and the way he was virtually mobbed by them.

Clinton, in his address to the parliamentarians, praised the Government of Kerala for its achievements in the field of women's empowerment. His speech writers had probably not told him that much of the development in the State had taken place under the a uspices of governments dominated by the Left parties. During the last official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the U.S. Congress, only a few Congressmen and Senators bothered to be present: Congressional staff had to fill the vacant seats when Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao gave his address.

The official press conference addressed by President Clinton was carefully orchestrated. Only four questions were permitted, and they seemed to have been vetted beforehand. But nobody complained. During his 10-day visit to China in 1998, Clinton subjecte d himself freely to questions from the media and even spent an hour with university students in Beijing, answering questions that touched contentious issues. Top Indian officials were, however, on hand to brief the American media accompanying Clinton. Th e Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Brajesh Mishra, reportedly told foreign journalists that the Government was thinking of placing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) issue before Parliament in the Budget session.

The business team accompanying the U.S. President to China was twice the size of and more high-powered than the one that he took with him during the South Asia trip. But a veteran Asia watcher, who covered President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China , said that Clinton's five-day trip to India would send the right signals to the American business community. He said that the American business houses rushed to invest in China after the Nixon visit. But despite the hype, only $4.4 billion worth of deal s were signed during the Clinton visit to India. Clinton and the American businessmen accompanying him see a big business opportunity in the gas and petroleum sector.

American companies have been keen on a gas pipeline linking Central Asia to India and beyond. A new story that appeared when Clinton was in India said that the Pakistan Government had cleared the proposal for a gas pipeline connecting Iran with India. Th e Americans are more interested in gas coming from Turkmenistan where American companies have a big stake. Clinton's meeting with a leading industrial house was said to be related to the "gas pipeline" politics of the region. Clinton had failed to persua de Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed to export gas to India. Hasina told Clinton that her country wanted to retain for domestic consumption gas reserves equivalent to 50 years' requirement. Her refusal to sell gas to India is more related to the charge by Opposition parties that the Government is selling out to Indian interests. Clinton, however, seems to have got an assurance that Bangladesh will sell gas to India after the next general elections.