Ahmedabad: The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium here was a sea of humanity today. While official figures for attendance at the ‘Namaste Trump’ event at the world’s largest cricket stadium, which has a capacity of 110,000, were yet to come in at the time of writing this report, according to some of the officials of Gujarat state police present at the media enclosure and also elsewhere in the stadium, the number of those present at the stadium could have been anywhere around 105,000 by the time US President Donald Trump, US First Lady Melania Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked in on Monday afternoon.
Modi-Trump masks
At the start of the day, one would have been stumped to see the number of Modi masks that were doing the rounds at the stadium for an occasion that was supposed to be a welcome reception for the president of America. It was Modi and Modi all the way, as people walked into the stadium sporting face masks designed after the Indian prime minister’s facial features, making the reception look like yet another political rally. Soon word went around and just about 20 minutes before the VVIP guests walked in, the number of Trump masks suddenly went up, probably saving the hosts an embarrassment. Along with the masks, sellers of the Indian tricolor were also seen making brisk business.
Earpieces trashed
Many spectators were caught on the wrong foot as earpieces and headphones, which constitute inseparable accessories for just about anyone and everyone with a mobile phone nowadays, were not allowed inside the stadium. As I was being frisked for the fourth and last time before entering the stadium, the security personnel plucked the iPhone earphones out of my pocket and promptly dumped them into the trash bin, much to my consternation. But one peep inside the trash can made me feel better — there were dozens of earpieces and headphones dumped in it. So I was not the only sufferer, notwithstanding the 100 dirhams hole it had burnt in my pocket!
Lavish spread for media
The lunch buffet at the media enclosure was befitting the occasion or so one thought. To give just one example, there were about five different flavours of ice-cream apart from five sweet dishes. From a panini sandwich to a cheese-topped pizza, from pineapple avalanche to a paan (beetel leaf) shot, yes a paan shot, the spread was amazing. Overheard at the dessert counter: “Instead of offering boiled broccoli and such bland stuff to the American first couple, this would have been a better menu option.”
