The Hindu : Overcome manmade barriers: Kalam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 28, 2003

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National

Overcome manmade barriers: Kalam

By Shujaat Bukhari

Photo: Nissar Ahmad

The President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Syeed, interacting with the participants at an information technology function in Srinagar on Friday.

SRINAGAR JUNE 27 . On the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, today asked the people of Ladakh to encourage children to shape the country's destiny.

Interacting with sarpanchs, panchs, villagers and children at Saboo village near Leh, Dr. Kalam said there was a need to connect the hundreds of villagers spread sparsely in this hinterland by road for their economic development.

Each village should have a development council. The second important goal should be to achieve electronic connectivity, through which the villages should be inter-linked and connected to entire country and the world.

He said connectivity through the Internet would unleash a new era of knowledge in the region that would unfold enormous vistas of economic development. Mentioning the importance of promoting of horticulture, he said with application of new technology and scientific knowledge, the region could gain immensely on the economic front. Enhanced production of fruits, vegetables and milk could usher in an economic revolution. Scientific knowledge could help in their preservation.

He recounted memories of his native village, Rameswaram, and said like his native place, the Saboo village too had a harmonious atmosphere, with Buddhists, Muslims and Christians living happily in unison. "Visiting Saboo today, I remember Rameswaram, where all communities live in peace and amity in true secular traditions of India," he said calling upon all religious heads to preserve the unique character of the country.

He said along with economic development, people should overcome "manmade barriers" and live in each other's hearts and minds. Stating that that the village is located at 1,1000 feet above sea level, Dr. Kalam said that people must work hard. He asked people to spent their hard earned money in shaping the future of the youth.

Dr. Kalam said there should be no discrimination against women and girl education who were equal partners in the pursuit of economic development and educational excellence.

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