FROM CULINARY DELIGHTS TO TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

The strong chemistry between Modi, Abe set the tone for India-Japan summit

The strong chemistry between Modi, Abe set the tone for India-Japan summits

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Even as camaraderie between the prime ministers of India and Japan, Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, was palpable as they went about meeting delegates in Gandhinagar, deliberating on bilateral cooperation, Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, too had an eventful day in Ahmedabad.

From meeting 10-year old origami prodigy Darsh Soni, who was born without a hand, at the Origami Mahotsav at the Ahmedabad Management Association, she found time to visit the garden at the Sabarmati riverfront and did a tour of the Calico Museum of Textiles, known for its distinguished collection of Indian textiles.

Delivering a lecture on climate change at Gujarat University and visiting the vocational training centre at the Blind People’s Association were all in a day’s work for her.

She had a quick lunch at the Japan Information Centre (JIC), where she was served with a pure vegetarian fare comprising local dishes of fafda and jalebi, apart from an elaborate Indian fare. Sources said she insisted on having a vegetarian meal because she did not wish to break the tradition (JIC serves only vegetarian food).

It was a vegetarian dinner for Prime Minister Abe on Thursday at Science City. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had hosted a dinner for the visiting dignitary and it was mainly a Gujarati fare, from khaman dhoklas to Gujarati kadi-khichdi. Abe was served mouth-watering Gujarati delicacies, apart from other Indian and international dishes.

The Japanese premier’s Gujarat visit was not just a matter of partaking of culinary delights, it was also about recalling the past. Speaking to a crowd of thousands at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Abe recalled something his grandfather had shared with him.

Abe’s grandfather had visited India after World War II and was introduced to the crowd by Jawaharlal Nehru as being the representative of the country that he (Nehru) respected most. Abe said this remained a fond memory with his grandfather, who was representing a war-torn Japan and he vowed to remain a friend of India forever.

“This time when I visited Gujarat, my wife, our entire delegation and I were greeted by a cheering crowd of 50,000 people. This touched me, and just like my grandfather, I would like to remain a friend of India forever,” Abe said to thunderous applause in the hall.

Apart from thanking him profusely for the bullet train project several times in the day, Modi introduced Abe as a friend of India, “friend of Gujarat and my personal friend”, and encouraged the crowd to give him a standing ovation.

He said, “Abe and I don’t miss any opportunity to meet. And this closeness and friendship have helped to further our bilateral relations.”

Modi said when he had visited Japan for the first time, he had dreamt of a “mini-Japan” in Gujarat and “today” that dream had come true with several Japanese expats living and working in Gujarat.

Abe’s Gujarat visit was not just a matter of partaking of culinary delights, it was also about recalling the past