Exactly three years ago, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had flown down to Kyoto, one of Japan’s historic cities, and welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in what was his first bilateral visit outside India’s immediate neighbourhood within four months of assuming office
Now, Modi will be returning the favour and welcoming Abe in poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday. He is likely to go to the airport to receive him — a departure from protocol he has made only for a handful of leaders, including US President Barack Obama.
Sources said Modi would then take Abe on a “massive roadshow” — from the airport to Sabarmati Ashram, possibly in an “open-top limousine” — with people cheering for them. There are plans of having schoolchildren lined up on the route, along with tableaux of 28 states.
The road from the airport to the city has been dotted with hoardings with photos of Abe and Modi, as well as cutouts, declaring “a strong synergy for peace and prosperity”, “welcome to the only home of Asiatic lions”, “New India, bright future”, and of course, “Welcome to India, welcome to Gujarat” — in Japanese Hiragana script.