Picture courtesy: White House

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump lit a traditional Diwali lamp (“Diya”) in the White House on Tuesday, calling Indians a “very, very special people” and exulting about US-India relationship, ties he said “can act as a bulwark for freedom, prosperity, and peace.”

The short ten-minute event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House had familiar ad-libbed Trump asides, digressions, and playing to the gallery, but with his daughter Ivanka Trump also in attendance, it was as warm as it was unexpected, considering he had just returned from Europe amid the usual tumult in his administration, and there was no advance notification of his participation.

There was also the usual storm in the tea-cup with the conscientious objectors and critics complaining that he failed to greet Hindus on the occasion and that he referred to South East Asians when he meant South Asians.

It happened because an initial tweet from the @realDonaldTrump account after the event picked a line from the middle of his speech and recognized the festival as "a holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains" without mentioning Hindus.

But Trump began his remarks by saying “I am thrilled to be here for the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, and I am honored to host this beautiful ceremony at the White House.” It took two more tweets for Trump (or his Twitter handlers) to post the opening line of his remarks which had referred to the Hindu Festival of Lights, by which time critics had a Twitter meltdown.

“We’re gathered together today to celebrate a very special holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the United States and around the world. Hundreds of millions of people have gathered with family and friends to light the Diya and to mark the beginning of a New Year, a very special New Year,” Trump said later, after breaking off to briefly talk about the California wildfires, adding, “Our nation is blessed to be home to millions of hardworking citizens of Indian and Southeast Asian heritage who enrich our country in countless ways.”

“Together, we are one proud American family. Do we agree with that? Huh? I think so. Huh? I think we do. Right? (Laughter.) You better believe it,” he ad-libbed, turning around to banter with several Indian-Americans in his administration while expressing gratitude “to numerous Americans of Indian and Southeast Asian heritage who fulfill critical roles across my administration.”

South East Asia typically refers to countries east of India, south of Japan and China, and north of Australia. But this White House is not exactly famous for its precision with words or geography.

Among those Trump greeted personally on the occasion was Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission , Neil Chatterjee, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Seema Verma , CMS Administrator, Uttam Dhillon, the Acting Administrator of Drug Enforcement Agency, and Neomi Rao, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Also present on the occasion was India’s ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna , whose term as envoy ends on December 31.

Typical of the showmanship the President is known for, he announced that he was nominating Neomi Rao to be on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the seat of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was recently elevated to the Supreme Court.

“We were going to announce that tomorrow and I said, ‘You know, here we are, Neomi, we’re never going to do better than this right?’ I thought it was an appropriate place. So, we’re 24 hours early, but she’s going to be fantastic. Great person,” Trump said. He also kidded with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai saying “I just didn’t like one decision he made, but that’s all right. Not even a little bit. But he’s independent,” referring presumably to the issue of net neutrality.

There was also the familiar complaint about trade with India backed by a compliment.

“The United States has deep ties to the nation of India, and I am grateful for my friendship with Prime Minister Modi. We’re trying very hard to make better trade deals with India, but they’re very good traders. They’re very good negotiators, you would say, right? The best,” Trump joked, adding, “So we’re working, and it’s moving along.”

Winding up with more lavish compliments for Indians and calling them “tremendous, tremendous people,” Trump said “America is a land of faith, and we are truly fortunate to have these wonderful traditions woven into the tapestry of our national life,” a sentiment many of his critics seem to doubt given his remarks and policies against minorities and immigrants.

It wasn’t just thin-skinned Hindus who fumed about Trump’s purported passing over of greeting them during the Diwali event, even though he began by recognizing the “Hindu festival.” The U.S President was also torched on Twitter by Americans who had problems with him hosting a Diwali event in the White House after he had bailed out of World War One commemoration events in Paris and Washington DC.

“It would have been far better to have honored our fallen heros (sic) from WW I at a ceremony in France Saturday. Our warriors deserved honor and accolades at the Ceremony but you abdicated your responsibility to preside over the honors to stay in your room and SULK like spoiled BABY,” responded one critic to Trump’s Diwali post.

“I guess if you get it wrong the first time, you get someone to right (write) it for you the second! You couldn’t visit Arlington yesterday, yet you help Hindus celebrate today? There is something very wrong with this picture. You’re in it!” said another handle after Trump updated his Twitter feed to mention it is a Hindu festival. Another added: “The light always wins.... Just reminding you. Your heart and soul are as black as night.”

Meanwhile Indians continued to flame him. “Thanks Sir. Diwali is celebration of Sri Ram+Sita return to Ayodhya, symbolically banishing the Darkness/Evil. Pl don't caption it 'Festival of Lights' like its showbiz. We don't call Christmas 'Festival of Tree or Turkey'” read one snarky tweet.

There was no winning for Donald Trump’s Diwali outreach.

