In 2024, the world lost two extraordinary leaders. One of them was Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States of America, and Manmohan Singh, who served as the former Prime Minister of India. Though both left their marks on their respective countries and the world, the rare meeting of these two leaders in 2006 testifies to the strong bond between them.
Jimmy Carter, who passed away on January 3, 2024, at the age of 100, was a revered figure in American politics and international relations. Known for his work in human rights, peace initiatives, and post-presidential efforts through the Carter Center, Carter also held a deep personal connection to India. His mother, Lillian, had served the country as a health volunteer of the Peace Corps during the late 1960s, and Carter himself was several times in India for various events throughout his lifetime.
While visiting India during 2006, he received the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Partnership Award. His visit was only one part of his efforts for improving US-India Relations. He visited India for the first time in 1978, becoming the first American president to visit the country after the Emergency and the victory of the Janata Party in 1977. In his speech at the Indian Parliament, Carter lauded India’s commitment to democracy and its rejection of authoritarianism.
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#WATCH | Former US President Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th President of the United States, passes away at the age of 100.
Archive visuals of Former US President Jimmy Carter meeting Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006, during his visit to India.
(Source: ANI… pic.twitter.com/7Xod31rpIK
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2024
Historic Encounter
The meeting between Manmohan Singh, India’s renowned economist and prime minister, and Jimmy Carter in 2006 was a historic moment in the two countries. Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92. He was one of the most important leaders of the economic liberalization in India in the 1990s. Singh was the first Prime Minister to oversee a period of economic reforms that transformed India’s global standing, and thereby his legacy is inextricably linked with India’s growth as an economic power.
The archives contain pictures of the meeting between the two leaders in 2006, where they are displayed as having a warm and friendly interrelation. This was not only a matter of personal compliment but also an expression of what the two countries shared about democracy, human rights, and global peace.
Carter’s Impact On India
Carter’s 1978 speech in the Indian Parliament remains one of his most remembered moments during his time in office. His message was clear: in order to achieve progress, a developing nation does not need to sacrifice its democratic values for authoritarianism. Carter’s affirmation of India’s democratic ideals resonated with the Indian public, reinforcing the country’s position as the world’s largest democracy.
He famously declared, “Is democracy important? Is human freedom valued by all people?. India has given her affirmative answer in a thunderous voice.” The words spoke not only to India’s democratic triumphs but also to the strength of its people in shaping their future through free and fair elections.
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