Jimmy Carter, the 39th United States of America President who died at the age of 100, shared a unique connection with this Haryana village which was named Carterpuri in his honour during his visit to the country in 1978.
He was the first American president to visit India after the removal of the emergency and victory of the Janata Party in 1977.
According to the Carter Centre, on January 3, 1978, Carter and then First Lady Rosalynn Carter travelled to the village of Daulatpur Nasirabad, an hour southwest of New Delhi.
He was the third American president to visit India and the only one with a personal connection to the country as his mother, Lillian, had worked there as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps during the late 1960s.
“The visit was so successful that shortly after, village residents renamed the area 'Carterpuri' and remained in contact with the White House for the rest of President Carter’s tenure," the Carter Centre said.
Trip's lasting impression:
"The trip made a lasting impression: Festivities abounded in the village when President Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and January 3 remains a holiday in Carterpuri," the centre further stated, adding that the visit laid the groundwork for an enduring partnership that has greatly benefited both the nations.
President Carter understood that shared democratic principles formed a strong foundation for a long, fruitful relationship between the US and India. It is, therefore, no surprise that the two nations grew steadily closer in the decades after he left office, it said.
“In fact, since the Carter administration, the US and India have worked closely on energy, humanitarian aid, technology, space cooperation, maritime security, disaster relief, counterterrorism, and more," the centre said.
His visit to India in 1978 was not merely symbolic but a substantive effort to rebuild trust and establish a framework for dialogue rooted in mutual respect and shared values, he said.
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