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Obama Holds Town Hall in India, Flies to New Delhi to Meet Singh

   Dan Robinson | Mumbai 07 November 2010

Photo: AP

   U.S.  President Barack Obama on stage as he answers questions during a
   town  hall  meeting  with  students at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai,
   India, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

   On the second full day of his three day visit to India, U.S. President
   Barack  Obama  conducted  a  "Town  Hall"  meeting  with students at a
   Catholic  college in the financial center, Mumbai.  Mr. Obama and his
   wife  Michelle  then  flew on to New Delhi for talks with Indian Prime
   Minister Manmohan Singh.
   After  announcing billions of dollars worth of new business deals with
   India  the  previous  day,  and  visiting  the  former home of India's
   independence  hero  Mohandas  Gandhi, the president and the first lady
   visited the Holy Name High School in Mumbai.
   There they watched a candle-lighting ceremony and watched a folk dance
   performance for Diwali, the 5-day Festival of Lights.
   But  the Obamas were observers for only a short time before youngsters
   urged first lady Michelle Obama and then the president into the dance.
   Later,  the  Obamas moved on to St. Xavier College, a Catholic college
   in  Mumbai.  In  a  Town  Hall  meeting  with  students, the president
   employed  some of the same personal connection techniques he uses back
   home in the United States.
   The  president  said,  "Around the world, your generation is poised to
   solve  some  of  my generation's mistakes and my parents' generation's
   mistakes.  You'll  make your own mistakes, but there's such incredible
   promise and potential for you to start pointing in new directions."
   The  president was introduced by Michelle Obama who spoke about Indian
   and  American  students  studying in each other's countries, and urged
   the audience to ask the president tough questions.
   The  president  also  toured  expositions  at the college dealing with
   agriculture, and open government and technology.
   U.S.  officials  say these visits underscore Mr. Obama's commitment to
   using  technology to advance principles of open government and further
   citizen empowerment and accountability.
   The   president   viewed  a  demonstration  of  a  new  system  called
   "e-Panchayat",  a  new  effort  to  enable people in the more than 400
   local districts across India to obtain and share information.
   The  Obamas then flew to New Delhi for a dinner hosted by Indian Prime
   Minister  Manmohan  Singh and his wife. On Monday they visit Raj Ghat,
   the memorial that marks the spot of Gandhi's cremation in 1948.
   Bilateral  talks  with Prime Minister Singh will cover the revitalized
   economic  relationship the two are trying to forge, and issues such as
   Afghanistan  and  Pakistan. Mr. Obama will also meet with other Indian
   political and opposition leaders.
   Prime  Minister Singh and President Obama hold a joint news conference
   before  Mr. Obama addresses India's parliament Monday evening, nearing
   the  end  of  the  longest  visit he has made so far as president to a
   foreign country.

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