Ambassador Roemer on a rickshaw with consul-general Beth Payne. Picture by Pabitra Das

Calcutta, Oct. 14: US ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer today said the highest ever turnout in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections was a “positive” sign.

“It is very positive to see people turning out in thousands at polling places yesterday. We will respect the outcome of the election,” said Roemer, in Calcutta on a two-day trip.

His comments will surely please North Block in the wake of the diplomatic tussle with China over its claim to the Indian state. However, the US diplomat made it clear that the India-China dispute was a bilateral issue. “The US is confident that they will peacefully resolve this,” Roemer said.

He was much more forthcoming on the shared concern over terrorism and said the US was working with India in “unprecedented” ways by sharing information and intelligence on potential threats and suspects. “It is very important that Pakistan prosecutes successfully the seven suspects of the Mumbai terror attacks… takes the facts and evidences about Hafiz Saeed and prosecutes him,” Roemer said.

The US-India relationship, he added, is based on a shared strategic interest and “agreement about the threat of extreme radicalism that can come from places like Pakistan”.

The diplomat who had begun his visit to the city with a trip to the Tagores’ Jorasanko home went to Mother House today. After the morning mass, he went to Shishu Bhavan where he distributed khichdi and boiled eggs to the destitutes.

“I am inspired by your devotion and hard work. You can feel mother Teresa’s spirit here,” he told the nuns of the Missionaries of Charity at Mother House.

President Barack Obama had requested him to meet “as many of the billion people” as he could during his stint in India and Roemer appeared to be doing his best.

He went to hand out English language proficiency certificates at an institution for the underprivileged — Great Hall WSA English Medium School — in Kidderpore and stopped a motorcyclist on the way to ask “what do you think about your country?”

“My country is the best,” the man behind the helmet said on Dr Sudhir Bose Road.

On a rickshaw with US consul-general in Calcutta, Beth Payne, Roemer went to see St Barnaba’s Church. He could not because the church keys were with the priest. “He visited our quarters instead,” said caretaker Robert D’Cruz.

On his way to catch a plane out of Calcutta, Roemer said: “I leave this evening wanting more.”