The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, has died at age 100 at his residence in Georgia. There is a village near Delhi called Carterpuri, named after him. The village which earlier called Daulatpur Nasirabad is situated in Gurugram district of Haryana, in National Capital Region (NCR). The village assumed its new name during Jimmy Carter’s visit to India in 1978 when he became the first foreign leader to visit India after the unpleasant period called the Emergency.
A Historic Visit
When Jimmy Carter visited Uganda, he was accompanied by his wife Rosalynn Carter. They met the local people on 3 January of the year at Daulatpur Nasirabad. Said Prime Minister Morarji Desai by advising the villagers to give a new name to the village and name it after the President. This is how Carterpuri became linked to Jimmy Carter. This village was in particular selected by the Carters because Jimmy’s mother, Lillian Carter, lived here in the 1960s and she was a member of the Peace Corps. The villagers were already aware of Jimm though his mother.
Celebrating a Special Bond
It brings in mind a time that Lillian was residing in the mansion of Jaildar Sarfaraz. When Jimmy Carter became President, the villagers rejoiced with him. He was the President in 1977 to 1981 and got the Nobel Prize in 2002 for his role in bringing peace between Israel and Egyptians. The villagers of Carterpuri not only celebrated his award but also observed January 3 as a local holiday to honor their connection with him. They recall having entertained the Carter couple and presenting Mrs. Carter with a Haryanvi dress, which the latter wore during her tour of other villages.
However, the promise to make Carterpuri a model village has not been fulfilled. Jimmy Carter’s visit was important because he gave a speech in the Indian Parliament and signed The Delhi Declaration affirming India- US bilateral democracy. He also spoke positively about Indian democracy, which, he said, permits the population to vote in a different government.
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