A rather quaint sight these past couple of days has been seeing Dr Singh make a special effort to greet the Indians who came to see him at the Andrews air base on Sunday and at the White House this morning.
Dr Singh is an intensely private man and it must be a wrench for him to play someone he is clearly not -- the gung ho, hooo-haaa politician, plunging into crowds with gusto.
At Andrews, the prime minister walked across to the 50-strong crowd shouting "Jai Hind", "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Manmohan Singh Zindabad," and greeted them with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. On Monday, after he finished inspecting the guest of honour at the White House, he acknowledged the Indians gathered there with a wave that seemed out of sync with a man, who appears most comfortable explaining how India's higher saving rates boost the economy or similar fiscal arcania.
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This is one interesting trip, so watch out for more dispatches tomorrow.
Also See: 'Outcome beyond expectations'