Cong urges Naga factions to talk peace

The Government will hold another round of talks, soon after, he added.

The Minister, also an AICC general secretary, was in Shillong to canvas for Congress candidates contesting the forthcoming March 3 Assembly elections. Meghalaya is poised to be on the top of development radar as the Congress party is all set to get a “clear majority” in the election, he claimed. He promised that the Central Government would provide all necessary infrastructure to the state.

Addressing party workers at Congress Bhavan, he said: “People are talking about post-election alliance, but let me tell you that the Congress party will be getting a majority and form the next government.” He, however, asked party workers not to be complacent and work hard to ensure that the party’s triumphs in the election.

“Congress victory in the election will fortify the party for next year’s parliamentary election. So you should visit not every home, but every voter and ask them to vote for the Congress party,” he said.

The Minister said that today India is on the way to become an economic super power and the wheel of progress was set in motion by late leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. When India was reeling under a severe food crisis, the US had told the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that it was willing to supply food grains, provided India listen to that country. “Indira Gandhi rejected this and instead said India will become self-sufficient. Today, even with a 1 billion population, we are a self-sufficient nation.”

Fernandes said that India has the highest number of “working hands” and youths constitute the majority. He said that the US and Europe are “aging” and they do not have enough “young hands to work” and to look after their aged citizens. “Recently I had a meeting with the US Labour Secretary and he was saying that US needs nurses to look after the aged.”

He said Indian youths are talented and can find job anywhere in the world.