Diplomacy, Diwali, dinner on Obama's agenda in India - USA Today

MUMBAI, India — A female tribal leader working to get more girls into classrooms, in a rural society that places boys first. A former civil servant running a website to battle corruption. Schoolchildren who got the first couple dancing for the Hindu festival Diwali.These were some of the Indians whom President Obama met Sunday on the second day of his four-nation Asia tour. The issues raised highlight the massive challenges facing this poor but fast-growing nation of 1.1 billion people, to whom Obama promised he would elevate the U.S.-India partnership "to an entirely new level."

He also faced the sensitive question of Pakistan-based terrorism, when asked, at a town-hall-style meeting with students, the question on many Indians' minds: Why hasn't the USA declared Pakistan a terrorist state? Obama stressed the need to work with Islamabad "to eradicate this extremism that we consider a cancer within the country that can potentially engulf the country."

His answers satisfied Swetha Anandhan, a microbiology student at Mumbai's St. Xavier's College, which hosted the event.

"You have to accept his need for diplomacy. I think he's doing a good job, but I will wait for a year or two" to see whether he can really deepen India-U.S. ties, said Anandhan, 20.

Other students welcomed Obama's focus on India, the longest stop of his week-long trip.

"We are a huge nation, with a huge population, and poverty is everywhere," said Mohini Bhattacharya, 21, a post-graduate in microbiology. "But Obama gives us hope we can be on a par with the superpowers," she said.

Kishu Daswani, a professor at Mumbai's Government Law College, said he was withholding judgment.

"The response of India is fairly guarded at the moment," said Daswani, who attended Obama's exchanges with students. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We need to get to specifics."

Obama had dinner Sunday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was to attend a state banquet tonight with Indian President Pratibha Patil.

Obama will also visit today a memorial to Mohandas Gandhi, who he said Sunday had taught him to be "persistent and stubborn" to achieve his journey.

Tribal leader Sharmi Bai can attest to that. In the patriarchal society of the Garasiya tribe in Rajasthan, Bai, 35, has won two elections to local councils in the past five years through her determination to help girls and women. "Some believe that investment in a boy pays off, but it's wasted on a girl," said Bai about the many village girls forced to help out at home instead of going to school.

The Obamas' first stop Sunday was to join in Diwali celebrations, and a dance, with students at the city's Holy Name School.

Education campaigner Anil Sadgopal expressed disappointment the president chose a private school over one of the city's 2,000 public schools. Similarly, the choice of St. Xavier's, with its English-speaking, upper middle-class students, also ensured Obama reached only the elite, ruling class, he said.

Instead, the U.S. visit should have highlighted the desperate need to increase public funding to change the "horrible" situation whereby 10%-20% of Indian children never enter school, a majority drop out by eighth grade, and only 10% of 18- to 24-year-olds attend college, said Sadgopal, a leader of the All India Forum for Right for Education, a pressure group.

In his meeting with Obama, T.R. Raghunandan discussed India's corruption problem. In August, Raghunandan set up ipaidabribe.com, where Indians can report the bribes they are forced to pay to access public services.

"The poor can't get the services they are entitled to because the rich increase the price by paying bribes," Raghunandan said.

Many Mumbai residents marked the fourth day of their Diwali festival Saturday by visiting the city's famous temple to Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth. With offerings of lotus flowers, coconuts and sweets, they prayed for prosperity — and pleaded for clean government.

"All Indian politicians are corrupt, they promise a lot but don't deliver," said Vipul Savla, 32, owner of a suit-making business. "Obama, too, will make promises, but can he deliver?"

As India's economy has boomed, so has his small firm, with 15% annual growth in the past five years, Salva said. He says he is "confident and comfortable" about the future.

"We don't need America, we are powerful now, and we stand on our own," said Dharmendra Bhatt, boss of a real estate agency.

Bhatt echoed widespread concerns here that the USA supports Pakistan without taking effective action to curb Pakistan-based terrorism. He also opposes the opening up of Indian markets to U.S. firms, one of Obama's avowed aims.

"The USA is afraid of India's economic growth, and they know we will be the No.1 economy in the future," Bhatt said.

Obama's visit "won't help me or any of the washermen working here," complained Subhir Kannajiya, at the Mahalaxmi dobhi ghat, an open-air, hand-beaten laundry center so vast it has become a tourist attraction.

"Some are getting rich in Mumbai, but most of the people are still poor," he said.

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