Jimmy Carter, US President after whom Haryana village was named ‘Carterpuri’, dies at 100

Former US President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old. “Our founder, former US President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the Carter Center said on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family.

At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on January 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on January 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Tributes poured in from around the world for the former US President on Sunday. US President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend.

Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others.

“To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong,” he added.

Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington.

Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office.

Jimmy Carter once said, “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference."

He and his wife, Rosalynn, co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health.

Carter, a friend of India: ‘Carterpuri'

Jimmy Carter was the third American leader to visit India during which a village in Haryana was named Carterpuri in his honour. He had a personal connection to India – his mother, Lillian, had worked there as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps during the late 1960s.

According to the Carter Centre, on January 3, 1978, Carter and then First Lady Rosalynn Carter travelled to the village of Daulatpur Nasirabad, an hour southwest of New Delhi.

“The visit was so successful that shortly after, village residents renamed the area 'Carterpuri' and remained in contact with the White House for the rest of President Carter’s tenure. The trip made a lasting impression: Festivities abounded in the village when President Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and January 3 remains a holiday in Carterpuri,” the Carter Centre said.

(With inputs from agencies)