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Gandhiji, Adani, bulldozers: Boris Johnsons day out in India
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British PM Boris Johnson garlands a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Thursday (April 21). Photo: Twitter/Boris Johnson

Gandhiji, Adani, bulldozers: Boris Johnson's day out in India

The Federal
21 April 2022 1:09 PM GMT  (Updated:2022-04-21 14:19:51)

On the first day of his two-day official tour to India, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Gandhi ashram, met Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, jumped onto a bulldozer at a JCB factory besides announcing a raft of commercial agreements.

UK and Indian businesses on Thursday will confirm more than £1 billion in new investments and export deals in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK, the British government said.

Also read: British PM faces calls to apologise for Raj-era massacre in Gujarat

“Johnson will announce a raft of commercial agreements and hail a new era in the UK and India’s trade, investment and technology partnership, as he arrives in Gujarat today (Thursday) for the start of a two-day visit to India. The Prime Minister will use his visit to India to boost our collaboration with one of the world’s fastest growing economies, slashing trade barriers for UK businesses and driving jobs and growth at home,” it added.

Johnson arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning (April 21) and was received at the airport by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Senior state officials and ministers were also present to receive him.

‘Gandhi, extraordinary man’

The British PM was greeted by troupes performing traditional Gujarati dances and music at the airport and along the road as his convoy headed for the hotel.

The ‘roadshow’ started outside the airport and passed through Ashram Road via Dafnala and Riverfront. As many as 40 platforms were erected at regular intervals on the four-km stretch from the Airport Circle to the five-star hotel on Ashram Road where again troupes performed traditional Indian dances to welcome Johnson.

“It’s fantastic to be in India, the world’s largest democracy. I see vast possibilities for what our great nations can achieve together. Our powerhouse partnership is delivering jobs, growth and opportunity. I look forward to strengthening this partnership in the coming days,” Johnson said.

After landing in Ahmedabad, Johnson visited the Sabarmati Ashram, also known as Gandhi Ashram. He called Mahatma Gandhi an “extraordinary man” who mobilised the principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better.

Johnson became the first PM of the UK to visit the Sabarmati Ashram, the place from where Gandhi led India’s struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule for more than a decade. In fact, the Tory politician is also the first British prime minister to visit Gujarat post-1947.

“It is an immense privilege to come to the ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilized such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for better,” Johnson wrote in the visitors’ book at the Gandhi ashram.

The Ashram trust gifted him two books, one of them an unpublished guide for the benefit of those seeking to live in London, penned by Gandhi himself. Gandhi had lived at the ashram from 1917 to 1930.

On Twitter, Johnson wrote, “I was honoured to follow in the footsteps of millions in visiting the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad today. As the world faces renewed conflict, Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings remind us of the power of peace in changing the course of history.”

Meeting with Adani

In Ahmedabad, Johnson also met Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.

Adani took to Twitter to share an image of both of them together, and wrote, “Honoured to host @BorisJohnson, the first UK PM to visit Gujarat, at Adani HQ. Delighted to support climate & sustainability agenda with focus on renewables, green H2 & new energy. Will also work with UK companies to co-create defence & aerospace technologies.”

The Adani Group is supporting UK-India AI collaboration with its new ‘Chevening-Adani Scholarship’. The new AI scholarships for Indian students are jointly funded by the UK Government’s Chevening programme and Adani Group.

He held a closed-door meeting with prominent business leaders from Gujarat.

Johnson hops onto bulldozer

Later, he headed for a manufacturing facility of JCB, a British construction equipment firm, near Halol in Panchmahal district. He was accompanied by Gujarat CM Patel. There, he jumped onto a bulldozer and posed for the cameras.

Johnson also visited the campus of under-construction Gujarat Biotechnology University in Gandhinagar as the varsity is coming up in cooperation with the UK’s University of Edinburgh

Later, he visited the famous Akshardham temple of the Swaminarayan sect in Gandhinagar.

On Friday, Johnson will travel to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on economic, security and defence collaboration.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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