Obama's visit: Under siege in south Mumbai?

Mumbai: South Mumbai's familiar rhythms, its hustle-bustle, street vendors and their wares - it will all be missing  when Air Force One touches down at the Mumbai airport on Saturday.

Popular tourist areas like Colaba and Churchgate will turn into a virtual fortress. All roads leading to the Gateway of India will be shut for vehicular traffic because the US President and part of his entourage will be staying at the Taj Hotel.

Buildings and streets around the area will be sanitized.  In fact half an hour before Obama's convoy moves, all roads in the area will be emptied out. Not a single vehicle will be allowed to step out till after his convoy passes.

For residents and shopkeepers, this clampdown coming in peak season is definitely not good news. A street vendor on Colaba causeway, a paradise for shoppers, tells NDTV, "This is the Diwali weekend when we can make money. But we have been told to shut shop.We have no problem with his visit. But why should it affect our business?"

A stone's throw away from the causeway is the Colaba police station. We meet a harrowed resident there. He says that he is worried he would not be allowed to enter his own home without a security pass. But he didn't know where to get it. "The police told me that only if I own a car, will I get a pass, but what if I step out of my house without one? Will I be allowed to return home?", he asks helplessly.

When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to the US in 2008, he made sure his trip didn't clash with the Christmas celebration, but now that President Obama is coming to Mumbai in the middle of the Diwali festivities, public places like Marine Drive, where people step out in hordes during Diwali, will be out of bounds. Crackers will also be a strict 'No-No'.

Ritesh Soni  will miss seeing the fireworks at the Gateway, that is  completely off limits for the two days that President Obama will stay in the city.

Sneha Padake, a management student from Sydenham College says, "Diwali is one of our most important festivals.Perhaps he should have timed his visit better. There will be so many restrictions when he is here."  Her friend, Kenil Jasani, agrees but says, "I'm excited about Obama's visit. It will help brand India. He is a very powerful person so it will highlight India's growth story."

"It really does not matter that it's Diwali. Its a matter of great honour that the most powerful person in the world is coming to India," said Vrishali Bhandare. The festive spirit may be somewhat dampened but Mumbai is gearing up to put its best foot forward with the age old adage  --  'atithi devo bhava'.