President Obama asked me to meet the masses in India: Roemer

Kolkata, Oct 14 (ANI): While on a visit to the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata, U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer has said that his country's President Barack Obama had asked him to meet as many of the possible billion people of India.

Roemer interacted with the children and the nuns and also served Khichdi to the children.

He also said that he appreciated the work of the nuns of the Missionaries of Charity and termed his visit as an attempt to reach out to the people of India.

"There is great relationship between United States and the people of India. President Obama, when he picked me up for this job, said I want you to meet as many of the billion as you possibly can. The Sisters here do such extraordinary work to help the poor. One of the missions, of not just the President, but the people of America is to reach out and help in partnership with India and help elevate and lift the poor," said Roemer.

The nuns also expressed their happiness with the Ambassador's visit.

"When he came here to visit the mentally challenged children, I was with him. He told me, thank you for all the beautiful work that you are doing and keep it up," said Sister Santiana, a nun.

Roemer, on his two-day maiden visit to the city, also visited Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral house at Jorasanko, which is a museum these days.

He also met the representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce and held a meeting with state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. (ANI)