We met Barack Hussein Obama,not the US President

'Facing a small but awestruck group of students,President Obama was incredibly at ease'

He is known as the leader of the free world and the most powerful man alive,but the man who addressed us at St. Xaviers College yesterday,dressed simply in a white shirt and black trousers,wasnt the President of the United States of America,but just Barack Hussein Obama; the man and his thoughts.

Facing a small but awestruck group of students,President Obama was incredibly at ease,and immediately established his comfort with the audience. From the moment that he started speaking,he had the audience hooked with his exceptional oratory skills and his calm yet persuasive manner. He talked of the limitless potential of Indo-US relations.

He said the willingness to serve is critical to what lies ahead of us and it is never too late or too early to bring in change. He presented his philosophies very simply by saying that if we just looked at the world through the eyes of hope as opposed to the eyes of fear,most of our problems will be solved on a fundamental level.

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It is this thought that struck me because it presented the kind of perceptiveness that I would personally look for in a world leader. Even the First Lady,Michelle Obama,was extremely warm and eloquent.

The fact that the students were encouraged to ask their own questions made this session a true interaction. However,as the purpose of President Obamas visit was to interact with the youth,I felt the session was a little too short for that.

It was a truly enriching experience to hear the man speak of bringing countries together and acknowledging that human race needs to work towards a common goal as a unit. Also,how often can one say that they got to meet the President of the United States?

The writer is Second-Year BA (Economics) student of St Xaviers College

rime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering during the inauguration of the PM MITRA Park and foundation stone laying ceremony of development works, in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. (@NarendraModi via PTI Photo)

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