The Hindu : Front Page : Manmohan assures all support to Karzai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 20, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Manmohan assures all support to Karzai

Special Correspondent

Says India will "walk hand in hand to make a new Afghanistan"

— Photo: V. V. Krishnan

HONOURED: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presents the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2005 to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Thursday. Also seen is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai that India and his countrywould "walk hand in hand to make a new Afghanistan — an Afghanistan of peace, an Afghanistan of prosperity and an Afghanistan of plurality."

Dr. Singh said Afghanistan faced major developmental challenges in terms of physical and human resources and needed to be rebuilt. He reiterated India's promise to support Afghanistan in the path of prosperity and development. He said India would do whatever it could to strengthen Afghanistan as a democracy and its development and prosperity would be a source of stability.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a function in which Mr. Karzai was presented the `Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2005' here on Sunday,

Continuing violence

Mr. Karzai has asked his people to challenge continuing violence in Afghanistan and the entire region. " Challenge the continuation of violence ... and let the voice of peace, prosperity and harmony resonate in the region again," he said.

Violence, extremism and terrorism have been wrecking the lives and livelihood of the people of his country, he said, adding that during the past five years it had "emerged from the dark era" and begun moving towards the path of prosperity.

President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam said that Mr. Karzai had a unique mission of political and economic development of his country.

"The spirit of courage in providing leadership at this critical time for re-building Afghanistan by bringing people together for a prosperous Afghanistan is important for many nations."

Mr. Kalam said India and Afghanistan could cooperate in empowering villages in education and healthcare and creating more employment potential. In this direction of higher level of training and skill imparting, India would definitely share the experiences with Afghanistan.

"Man is fighting a war on all fronts — terrorism on the one side, diseases and environmental degradation on the other and poverty above all" while collectively seeking a solution for these problems, he said.

"Afghanistan and India, and the other nations can work with unity of minds in this region for realising the dreams of transforming our nations into developed nation by imparting education with value system, transforming religion into spirituality and promoting economic development for societal transformation," he said. The youth should be empowered to give a positive direction and leadership for development.

United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi recalled the rich legacy of India-Afghanistan relations which went back to the earliest times, including the Buddhist era.

The two nations had since then shared a lot in terms of art, culture, music and architecture, she said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page