Coronavirus: World leaders are replacing handshakes with ‘namaste’ and bows, to minimise risks
No contact diplomacy is the name of the game.
My mom sent me this video of Prince Charles doing a wai/namaste instead of shaking hands. Apparently viral in Thailand that their traditional greeting is catching on. (Forgive the puns) pic.twitter.com/zxJni7Pm1c
— Drunkle Kev (@drunklekev) March 13, 2020
Prince Charles (above) was one among several world leaders who are staying clear of handshakes as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads globally. Other world leaders too are adopting alternative forms of greeting.
One of these has been the traditional Indian “namaste”. The “wai” bow, a Thai greeting which involves hands joined together and a slight bow, has also been spotted.
US President Donald Trump , while demonstrating the “namaste”, said that he and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar did not shake hands, “We did this. I just got back from India and I didn’t shake any hands there. It was easy.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has also been seen greeting others the same way.
#WATCH US President Donald Trump: We (him&PM of Ireland) didn't shake hands today&we looked at each other&said what are we going to do?Sort of a weird feeling. We did this (joined hands). I just got back from India&I didn't shake any hands there. It was easy. #CoronaVirusPandemic pic.twitter.com/5uTSKTf7bO
— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2020
Président Macron has decided to greet all his counterparts with a namaste, a graceful gesture that he has retained from his India visit in 2018 pic.twitter.com/OksoKjW7V8
— Emmanuel Lenain (@FranceinIndia) March 11, 2020
Also see
Indian namaste or Iranian bum-bump? Coronavirus fears spark memes and wacky videos
