Obama, Michelle start Day 2 in Mumbai school

Mumbai, Nov. 7 (IANS) After a hectic first day in India’s financial capital, US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle kicked off their second day at the Holy Name School Sunday morning.

The couple went to the school in one of the quiet bylanes of Colaba, a hub of foreigners and close to the Leopold Caf, which was targeted during the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The Obamas, who celebrated Diwali with the schoolchildren, who presented a dance show. The US first couple - the president in his usual white shirt and tie and the first lady in a checked dress with a hot pink shrug - moved around, shaking hands with the children and stopping to exchange some words.

One of the dance shows will be a ‘diya’ dance, with Diwali as the theme while the other will see eight students performing the Koli dance, a folk dance of fishermen community of Maharashtra.

The students also had some questions ready for the US president.

“I would want to know what major change does Obama want to bring about in the world. Another friend of mine wants to ask him who or what is his source of inspiration,” a student said.

Later, President Obama is scheduled to address around 100 students selected from six different city colleges at the St. Xaviers College in Dhobi Talao, again a stones throw away from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, another target of 26/11.

He will also visit an agricultural exhibition there and meet a few farmers on the occasion.

Thereafter, they are expected to return to the Taj, drive down to Colaba and hop onto a chopper for the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for their onward visit to New Delhi.

South Mumbai remained a virtual fortress as US dignitaries went about their social engagements in the area, mostly within a two square kilometre radius. The only event

in which the couple travelled up to five kilometres was during the visit to Mani Bhavan Saturday afternoon.