Manmohan and Sonia celebrate "resilience" of UPA coalition

NEW DELHI: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government on Sunday marked the completion of one year in office with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi celebrating the "resilience" of the ruling coalition, and expressing satisfaction over a journey well begun while acknowledging the challenges ahead.



Addressing a gathering of his Council of Ministers and the UPA at his residence after releasing the report "A Caring Government — One Year of UPA," the Prime Minister said: "The forging of the UPA, its political resilience and the durability of our alliance bears testimony to our determination to offer to the people of our Republic a political platform that captures the true spirit of our Constitution. The UPA symbolises the values of pluralism and secularism that defined our national movement and are at the core of our national politics."



Stating that she had no hesitation in admitting that the Congress at the Centre had to learn the "ways of participating and governing in a coalition," Ms. Gandhi said: "One year of the UPA has amply demonstrated that parties can pursue larger national interests without sacrificing their respective political and electoral goals. We have kept our identities, but we have remained true to our responsibilities in government and to the people."



Acknowledging the role of the allies and the four Left supporting parties — who stayed away from the meeting — in ensuring the cohesiveness of the ruling arrangement, Dr. Singh said together, an alternative had been offered to the people; "an alternative to the politics of exclusion and majoritarianism; an alternative to the economics of backwardness and bankruptcy; and an alternative to the sociology of conflict and discrimination."



While Ms. Gandhi complemented the Prime Minister for providing a "dignified and effective leadership'' to the Government — instilling "confidence at home'' and enhancing "India's prestige abroad" — Dr. Singh returned the complement several times over; recalling her renunciation which "generations to come will marvel" and was "in the great traditions of sages and saints of this ancient land."



On the past year, both leaders articulated similar formulations with Dr. Singh stating that the mood of the country today was diametrically opposite to what it was last year. "At that time India was shining for a few and the Government could not see what was happening to the many.''