The uplifting tune of the all-time Waqt hit O meri zohra jabeen, tujhe maloom nahin wafted across the lush green lawns of 7 Race Course road.
Moments before, the navy and BSF Camels band played Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye jay peerh paraaye janney ray. In rapt attention was Barack Obama, a self-confessed disciple of the Father of the Nation.
This was the milieu at the sprawling residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s dinner for the US president. The chemistry between the two has become stronger. First, the PM broke protocol to receive the US first citizens at the airport. Then, Obama reached 7 Race Course half an hour ahead of schedule.
Both leaders spent a fairly long time in a one-on-one meeting, which has been officially described as a stock-taking exercise. Sources said the nitty-gritty of the ticklish parts of the visit was discussed. Also being worked out behind closed doors is the content of the joint statement to be issued today.
The two then sat down for dinner at the high table with US first lady Michelle, the PM’s wife Gursharan Kaur, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, and Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
On the guest list, among the usual politicos and bureaucrats, were the PM’s personal choices: industrialists Azimji Premji, Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy and Swati Piramal; Bollywood personalities Aamir Khan, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi; world chess champion Viswanathan Anand; and environmentalist Sunita Narain.
