News Snapshot:
Despite this apparent advantage, Vajpayee’s gentle nature and aversion to small talk kept Bush from fully leveraging their rapport, as Sibal observed. “Bush knew his background. He kept calling him ‘sir’, behaving like a little boy,” Sibal said. Vajpayee and Bush had a unique dynamic, with the latter holding the Indian leader in deep respect, adopting a demeanour reminiscent of a deferential young boy, according to former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, who worked closely with Vajpayee. New Delhi: During his 1988 visit to India, French President Jacques René Chirac pitched the sale of Airbus planes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The...