Obama’s Interaction With Students At Mumbai’s Famous College

One of the highlights of President Barack Obama’s visit to Mumbai was a visit to St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, founded by German Jesuits in 1869. Obama seemed so much at ease with the students, and so communicative, that one wonders whether he should have been a professor or a diplomat instead of being a politician/president, a task some say he should have perhaps left to Ms Hillary Clinton!!!

India’s leading TV channel, NDTV, is ready with the full transcript of Obama’s interaction with the students. It is said that the interaction at St. Xavier’s was better than many of the press conferences that Obama has addressed.

Barack Obama’s introductory remarks: “Tomorrow, I’ll meet with PM, many other leaders. It is a privilege to address the Indian Parliament. There will be specific announcements on terror, environment change and development of democracy around the globe.

“I believe that India has already risen. Taking its rightful position in Asia, world. It is good for the world and for the US. India’s future won’t be determined only by CEOs.

“You are future leaders, future educators, entrepreneurs and future electors. More than half of all Indians are under 30 years old. It is a great statistic. Every single child holds promise of greatness.”

The students of St Xavier’s, Mumbai, asked him the following questions:

Question: What is your opinion on jihadis?

Q: In today’s world there is more of materialistic frame of thought among the new generation. What do you believe is a possible methodology that your government or government’s around the world can adopt, to basically incorporate the core human values of selflessness, brotherhood over the materialistic frame of thought that people work by today?

Q: You’ve mentioned Gandhi a lot. How do you implement his values in your day to day life and how do you expect people in US to apply his values?

Q: You used the word ‘change’ a lot. After your mid-term elections, seems people have asked for change. How will that affect young India?

Q. Why is Pakistan so important an ally to America that so far America has never called it a terrorist state?

Q. My question relates to your Afghan policy. In light of your recent statements that troop withdrawal would start in 2011. There have been recent developments that would indicate that US has been in talks with Taliban so as to strike out a stable government in Afghanistan. Does it point to the inability of the US to take a military control of the tumultuous southern region?

For Obama’s answers to these questions see here…