President Barack Obama hosts his first state visit today. The guest? Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Makes me proud.
Singh, India’s first Sikh leader, is an a Cambridge- and Oxford-educated economist who was first sworn in as prime minister in May 2004 and again this past May when the Congress party won national elections.
During his visit to Washington, Singh will certainly be looking for ways to continue strong bonds forged between India and the United States under the administration of George W. Bush. Talk may not come easy — India’s chief rivals China and Pakistan are both strong U.S. allies.
Foreign policy aside, here comes the real question. What’s for dinner?
Politico reports that the White House has invited super chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit fame to cook the divine for Obama’s first state dinner. Wonder if Samuelsson will be mixing masala on the menu.
Though he’s nearing 80, Singh is known to be hale and hearty partly because he follows a strict diet, preferring vegetarian over carnivorous fare. A potato-filled dosa over mutton kabobs.
I’ll be waiting to find out what goes onto Singh’s plate tonight. He is, after all, the leader of a nation that now, after years of post-colonial poverty, has become an economic giant commanding global attention.
Tonight’s state dinner might just contain the ultimate carrot.
