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| Public will is supreme: Sonia | | |  Early Times Reporter
Srinagar|Sep 10: Claiming a remarkable improvement in the situation during her party's regime, the Congress president and chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi said that terrorism has no strength before will of the people which is strong enough to bring down the walls of hatred.
Addressing a 'Women's Meet' organized by the Central Social Welfare Board, Sonia Gandhi said said opening of communication channels between the people of two Kashmirs proved that terrorism cannot survive before the will and unity of the people.
During her brief Srinagar visit, the Congress president was accompanied by Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, Union Minister for Water Resources, Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury, Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board, Rajni Patil and M. M. Jacob, Congress Working Committee Member and in-charge Jammu and Kashmir affairs.
"Despite threats from militants, bus services between Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote were opened for people to people contact between the two parts of Kashmir", said Sonia. She added, This amply shows that terrorism cannot exist in front of the will and unity of the people, she said.
She called for maintaining unity at all costs and said the fight against militants cannot succeed without people's support. Gandhi recalled the damage caused to the infrastructure in the state due to militancy and said the coalition government was rebuilding the damaged infrastructure in the state.
Gandhi said that she had always felt happiness in visiting Kashmir but was today taken over by a feeling of pride for being among the women of the Valley who, by putting a brave face against all odds and difficult situations, had emerged as a symbol of resistance against terror for the entire womenfolk of the country. She said the Kashmiri women had suffered much during the last two decades, inflicting deep wounds on their hearts and mind. She said it was the responsibility of the government to nurse these wounds and both central and state governments had taken several measures in this direction. She, however, said that more required to be done to reach out to this important segment of the society.
The UPA Chairperson said that women always bore the brunt of any disaster, whether natural, social or political. She said that it were they who had to suffer the most and at the same time keep their homes in tact by gathering confidence and strength.
Mrs. Gandhi said that the touchstone for success of any government was that how much it had succeeded in ameliorating the sufferings of the people. She said that by this standard the UPA government at the centre led by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir had done a good job in executing infrastructure development projects and implementing welfare schemes. She said security scenario in the State had considerably improved.
The coalition government first under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and now headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad was engaged in reconstructing roads, electricity, bridges, colleges and schools which suffered damages during militancy, she said.
Gandhi said the focus of the coalition government was to help agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts and floriculture sectors to develop the economy. Schools and colleges were opened to provide better education to the girls and boys.
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