For decades, India has studiously made sure it can't be accused of picking sides in foreign elections. Not anymore. The western Indian city of Ahmedabad is getting dressed up for a party unlike any it has seen. Roads near the new Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in the suburb of Motera are being laid afresh. Costing $100 million, it will be the world’s largest cricket arena. Sidewalks have shiny new blocks. And the city civic authority is building a brick barrier to cordon off a slum from visibility for its latest guest, who is known for his love of walls: U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an estimated 125,000 people at the Motera stadium. The event, called “Namaste Trump,” is a thinly veiled attempt to woo the 4.5-million-strong and wealthy Indian American community — a third of them of Gujarati origin — to the president’s cause in November. It’s the latest evidence of a dramatic break from traditional diplomacy for India, which in the past has made sure it can’t be accused of picking favorites in foreign elections, or of influencing voters there. |