Jesuit St. Xavier College In Mumbai Site Of President Obama's Townhall Gathering

The centerpiece of Obama's day was his stop at St. Xavier College, a Jesuit institution where students waited for hours outside for him in the heat. Obama has used this town hall format in his foreign travels as a comfortable way to connect with people, although by the time he was done offering advice to the students, he only had room for six questions. One of the sharper ones was this — "Why is Pakistan so important an ally to America, so far as America has never called it a terrorist state?"

There were some murmurs from the audience. Obama said it was OK. He knew it was coming. Muslim-dominated Pakistan and Hindu-majority India have gone to war and still hold deep suspicions. Indian officials accuse Pakistan's intelligence service of helping orchestrate the Mumbai attacks and say Islamabad has not done enough to crack down on the Pakistan-based extremists held responsible. 

Pakistan views India's ties with the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan as an effort by its old rival to encircle it. Obama even got a prickly response from some Indian commentators on his first day in the country for failing to mention Pakistan when honoring the memories of those killed in the Mumbai attacks. To his audience Sunday, he said the Pakistani government understands the dangerous elements that hide and operate within its borders. He also defended the strategic importance of Pakistan to the United States, as he has about India.

"We will work with the Pakistani government in order to eradicate this extremism that we consider a cancer within the country that can potentially engulf the country." He said the U.S. approach is to "be honest and forthright with Pakistan, to say we are your friend, this is a problem and we will help you, but the problem has to be addressed." 

The president sought to make the difficult case that India has a rooting interest in Pakistan's success, arguing that stability for its neighbors could help push peace and more economic growth for India. He encouraged peace talks and offered support, but not more. "India and Pakistan have to arrive at their own understandings," he said.
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