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Agra shuts down for Clinton visit

Neena Haridas in Agra

An eerie silence lay over the streets of Agra. It did not look as if it was actually celebrating President Bill Clinton's first visit to the Taj Mahal. The roads were cleared and all vehicular movement outside the town was stopped in the afternoon. Nobody was allowed to leave the town. Mobile phones and tape recorders were not allowed within three km of the Taj Mahal.

Unlike in Delhi, the city also had no telltale signs of Clinton's visit, such as flags, posters or pictures. The roads and lampposts were barren compared to those on the roads of New Delhi.

The Agra collectorate was packed with people all trying to bring order to the system. A lady officer piped, "For the last one week it has been US rule in Agra. We have had no freedom they have been deciding everything for us."

Another officer piped in, "Why not. If one chap in the Agra authority can lose a file concerning Clinton's visit, anything is possible."

Clinton arrived as scheduled at the airport and proceeded to the Taj Mahal where he spent two hours with daughter Chelsea. He then proceeded to the Taj Khema, 200 meters away from Taj Mahal. There, on the terrace, from where one can see the Taj in its full glory, he gave his speech on green technology.

The entire area was cordoned off -- shops all around the city were made to down shutters from 11 am to 7 pm for security reasons. The mall and the Taj Nagari wore a deserted look as no one dared to venture out for the fear of harassment. The vehicles that entered the city had to go through rigorous checks and the hotels were asked to report all reservations in the last two days.

Says G C Gupta of the Agra Development Authority, "This is the first time that we have seen such security arrangements. The biggest show that we had was that of Yanni concert at the Taj, but never anything so big."

CLINTON VISITS INDIA:The complete coverage

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