``We have lost more than 20,000 lives during the last decade and the infrastructure developed over the years was gutted to ashes,'' Lone observed, adding that the situation had improved considerably over the last two years with the elections. The involvement of the local youth in militancy has reduced considerably with the result that the enemies across the border have now resorted to infiltration of foreign mercenaries, he said.Lone revealed that the maximum number of foreign mercenaries were killed during the year 1998.``We have to fight a battle on all fronts and the difficult task ahead is restoring law and order, creating a sense of security among the people and rebuilding the gutted infrastructure,'' he said.

Lone urged the Centre to lend more financial assistance in rebuilding the state stating that the problem of Jammu and Kashmir is the problem of the nation. More than 44,000 youth have been given government jobs in the last two years, however a maximum portion of the budget is still allocated for security, he pointed out.

The Home Minister felt that Article 370 continues to be the bridge between Kashmir and the rest of India and believed that no citizen would like to weaken those ties.