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Sunita Williams lands in Ahmedabad on India tour
Published on Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 07:38, Updated on Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 15:07 in India section
Tags: Sunita Williams, Gujarat , Ahmedabad
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Ahmedabad: She has made India proud by becoming the first woman to spend the longest time in space.
And Gujarat is all set to welcome Sunita Williams. The astronaut arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday on an Air-India flight, but she has not stepped out of the terminal. She was scheduled to reach at 1010 hrs (IST).
Sunita has a hectic schedule ahead of her. But she has set her priorties right. First in the list is a prayer meeting at the Sabarmati Ashram.
The excitement there was palpable.
“We are all very excited and are preparing for the meet. If I get a chance I would like to ask her how she felt in space,” says Sabarmati Ashram student Vinay Parmar.
Another student Varsha says, ”I will ask her what she feels about the ashram.”
After the visit to Sabarmati, Sunita will pay homage at the statue of her cousin and former state home minister Haren Pandya.
On Friday, she will proceed to her ancestral home in Jhulasan. For her and her family, it’s going to be an emotional homecoming.
"We are all very excited. She is basically coming here to thank the people. And Jhulasan has prayed for her through seven days. It will be an emotional homecoming for us,” says her father Deepak Pandya.
“We are very happy and excited. In the excitement of her arrival we didn't sleep the whole night,” adds Sunita’s cousin Chaya.
As for her niece Vacha, she says, ““We have made food for Sunita which she likes.”
Over the next five days, the astronaut will attend a multitude of programmes including an interaction with students in Ahmedabad, felicitation by the Governor, Chamber of Commerce and voluntary organisations.
But some of her family members are upset that the state government has not done more to welcome her.
"One or two people may be reluctant to respect her. It shows a negative mindset. We really don't care,” says her uncle Vitthal Pandya.
“She first came here in 1976 and then in 1998 and now after so many years she is coming in 2007. It's a long time but we still keep in touch,” adds Sunita’s relative, Mehul Pandya.
For Sunita though, what seems to be more important is the reunion with her relatives.
She had last visited the state in 1998.
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Where do we get off by claiming that Sunita is Indian. She is AMERICAN born and bred. Had she been
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Viththal pandya always cries foul about Mr. Modi. He is an old congress man. Most of his relatives are in
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Hello Sunitha. This is a message extending whole-hearted warm welcome to India. You are certainly an icon and you made
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Had she been an Indian Citizen, she would be living a life of misery here .. what with Gujarat Riots,
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Let us wish the world renowned astronaut a fine stay in our country.
Dr. Cajetan Coelho
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