M A I N   N E W S

Hectic schedule for Clinton
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, March 16 — Will US President Bill Clinton keep up his routine of going for a jog during his stay in the capital? Questions like these have become the talk of the town as a Clinton fever rages in the city four days before his arrival.

Never has a visiting dignitary evoked so much interest in the national media and the local people as Mr Clinton has. But, such has been the security and secrecy around the visit of the world’s most powerful leader that it has been difficult to satisfy the people’s curiosity.

Officials handling the visit are not sure even today of what shape his final schedule would take but they are sure that it would be a hectic one.

It is more or less certain that he would be staying at the ITC-run Maurya Hotel during his stay in the capital as an advance team of security personnel from the USA has already descended at the venue.

Once the President arrives at the hotel, the venue would be out of bounds for everybody and it would be difficult to find out much about his personal routine.

Ahead of his visit, the Capital is being spruced up with the municipal authorities, electricity men and all organisations connected with the maintenance of the city working overtime.

The city is being given a new coat of paint, roads are being repaired, damaged streetlights replaced and the sewerage system cleaned. Delhi never looked more beautiful earlier.

The only thing public now is that Mr Clinton would arrive in the Capital on the evening of March 19 in his special aircraft. He would have no engagements on that day as he would rest that night to get over the jet lag.

On the morning of March 20, when the country celebrates the festival of colours, the President would depart for Bangladesh early in the morning and would return late in the night.

His official visit begins on March 21, with President K.R. Narayanan, Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee and other senior Indian leaders according him a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Through with the formalities, the President would visit the Rajghat to lay a wreath at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Clinton would be following his predecessors Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter who too did the same when they visited India.

There was talk about Mr Clinton walking barefoot to the samadhi of Gandhi, but it has now been clarified that he would be provided with cloth slippers, a courtesy provided by the Rajghat committee to other visiting dignitaries also.

The President has a long engagement at the imposing Hyderabad House opposite the India Gate lawns after his return from Rajghat. He would have a one-to-one meeting with Mr Vajpayee and there would be simultaneous bilateral talks between delegations of the two sides. The two leaders would then witness the signing of some important agreements, the details of which are being worked out.

The Prime Minister would then host a lunch for the guests. Since Hyderabad House may not accommodate all of them, plans are afoot to shift the lunch venue to the more spacious Banquet Hall of the Ashoka Hotel. Mr Vajpayee is understood to have invited all the Chief Ministers for this important occasion.

On the morning of March 22, the leader of the Opposition, Ms Sonia Gandhi, is likely to call on the President. Thereafter, Mr Clinton will address a special joint sitting of Parliament. After this engagement, he would leave for Agra.

At Agra, his engagement begins with an address to environmentalists and thereafter he would visit The Taj Mahal. It will not be a moonlight visit due to security reasons.

From the marble city, the President would fly down to the Pink City of Jaipur, where he would rest for the evening.

On the morning of March 23, he would visit Amer Palace and then visit Niali village, about 35 km from Jaipur. At the village he would visit a health centre where he is likely to administer polio drops to a child.

He will then leave for Ranthambore Park to try his luck at sighting some tigers. A wildlife buff, the President’s men are hoping that the elusive big cats will oblige Mr Clinton. The President will rest that night in Jaipur.

On March 24, Mr Clinton will leave for Hyderabad where he would stay for three-and-a-half hours. His engagements here include a lecture to IT professionals.

The final destination is Mumbai. He is scheduled to address a delegation of businessmen under the aegis of the FICCI-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Efforts are also on to set up a meeting of the President with the “generation next” of India.

On the morning of March 25, Mr Clinton would be homebound.