In a break with the past, people gathered in large numbers to celebrate the Independence Day in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

Around 15,000 people, including women and children from all over the troubled Kashmir valley, assembled at the Bakshi stadium, which used to be mostly empty during I-Day celebrations.

Bouyed by the enthusiastic crowd, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed assured the people that his coalition government would work for the restoration of their peace and dignity, provide responsive administration and make J&K a model state.

However, he asked evreyone to be patient as every ill cannot be cured overnight. "We have taken several measures to provide employment to the educated youth, motivate industrialists to invest in the state and streamline the administration, but much more remains to be done," the Mufti said.

The chief minister renewed his appeal to the militants to abjure the path of violence and said gun has no role in the present century.

The Mufti said his government is making efforts to initiate talks between the Centre and the people of the state to resolve the internal dimensions of the Kashmir problem.