Sonia touches Valley hearts

Dressed in a richly embroidered pheran (Kashmiri gown), the Congress president said Kashmir has a special place in the country as it represents secular ethos. ‘‘I have fond memories of the Valley as I have visited it with Rajiv Gandhi,’’ she said as the crowd broke into a loud applause. ‘‘But, sadly in the recent past, whenever I have come here, it has been to share the people’s grief at their loss. I can feel your pain as I have suffered it myself when my mother-in-law Indiraji died and my husband Rajivji was killed. I know how horrible it is to put up with the loss of your dear ones,’’ she added in her heavily accented Hindi.

‘‘The Congress’s policy is clear. In alliance with the People’s Democratic Party, we would put Kashmir on the road to prosperity. For this, the Centre has to hold a dialogue sympathetically with all sections of society here,’’ the Congress chief said.

Expressing her support for the Prime Minister’s latest peace initiatives, she said friendly ties with Pakistan can be restored through dialogue alone and not military means. ‘‘There’s talk of restoring friendly ties with Pakistan. Our view is that dialogue alone will resolve the problems and not military tactics. Congress supports the peace initiatives and we will lend our support to such initiatives,’’ Sonia said as the crowd, holding PDP and Congress flags, hooted in support.

Hitting out at the communal elements, she said the enemies of secularism would only bring destruction and recalled how, in the aftermath of the Nadimarg massacre, the whole Valley observed a three-day protest strike. ‘‘The whole country is proud of the diversity and tolerance exhibited by the people of Kashmir.’’

Admitting that there is need to generate employment opportunities for the youth and good education in the state, she said to wild applause that reservations in colleges in states governed by Congress would be provided to youth from the Valley. ‘‘Apart from reservations for the youth here, our chief ministers have promised to help in reviving tourism in the Valley,’’ the Congress chief assured the gathering.

Making a case for the opening up of the Rawalpindi-Baramulla route, CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said: ‘‘When people can walk through the Wagah border, when there can be a bus service from Delhi to Lahore, why can’t Kashmiris go through Rawalpindi to meet their near and dear ones. Let’s create such an atmosphere that will help us work towards this goal.’’