Will Trump, first lady remove their shoes at Sabarmati Ashram?

AHMEDABAD: Traditionally in Gujarat, guests remove their shoes outside the homes they are visiting. It is a custom which has its roots in insistence on cleanliness, a virtue propagated by Mahatma Gandhi. It also shows one’s respect for the host’s dwelling.
So, when the officials of the US consulate who visited Sabarmati Ashram on Thursday to review the protocol to be followed at the ashram, asked if US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania would have to remove their shoes, they were told ‘yes’.
“This had the official piqued who is reported to have asked, “Will the President and the first lady compulsorily have to remove their shoes before entering Gandhi’s abode,” said an official who was part of the team that visited the ashram.
To this, the officials representing India reported to have said, “Most visitors, including VVIP dignitaries, who come here generally remove their shoes outside”.
Prof Ramji Savaliya, former director of BJ Institute of Learning & Research, said that two concepts are associated with removing the footwear outside Hriday Kunj, Gandhi's room in the ashram, or for that matter any Indian household. “The first is of course cleanliness – the concept is, one should not bring impurities from outside to someone’s residence. The other and more prominent feeling is associated with giving the household respect,” he said. “The household is considered to be sanctum sanctorum for its resident and we don’t go to any temple with the footwear on. Extending the concept, drawing room is often the place where households have installed idols and kept their parents’ pictures. It’s a mark of veneration for the beliefs of the household.”
Prof Savaliya added that during Mahatma’s lifetime, even a shanty occupied by him was revered by his followers and they would never wear footwear while meeting him. “Thus, if we believe that Mahatma is present at Hriday Kunj as spirit, the act is symbolic to offering him respect,” he said.
Trump and his wife will kick-off their India visit from Ahmedabad on February 24. They are expected to reach Sabarmati Ashram after noon and spend some 25 minutes there with PM Narendra Modi before heading to the mega-launch of Motera Stadium, pegged as the world's largest cricket stadium.