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SLACK
RECORD
Receptions
to past Indian PMs have at best been pleasant, at worst cold and have
seldom led to substantial gains
Indira
Gandhi: Nov 1971
Indira's
state visit shortly before the Indo-Pak war marked a low point in Indo-US
relations. Her contempt for Nixon was matched only by his disdain for
her.
Morarji
Desai: June 1978
America was
unaware that he was visiting until Morarjibhai began talking about the
merits of drinking urine. As an exercise in diplomacy, the visit was a
disaster.
Indira
Gandhi: August 1982
Reagan and
Indira got on famously but the stereotype in the American mind regarding
India remained: anti-American, pro-Soviet, poverty stricken and socialist.
Rajiv
Gandhi: June 1985
15 years
before Clinton charmed India, Rajiv did the same to the US with his poise,
confidence and wit. But he was still unable to reverse the US'
pro-Pak tilt.
P.V.
Narasimha Rao: May 1994
The liberalisation
process set in motion by Rao in 1991 meant there were shared economic
interests but the Americans were still in no hurry to invest
in India.
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If
there was one word to summarise Putin+s style, it is Realnosti---Russian
for get real---says INDIA TODAY Deputy Editor Chengappa in
