Don’t succumb to militants’ threats, reopen shops: J&K govt says in ad
RESTORING NORMALCY Despite appeal, shutdown continued amid heavy deployment of security forces
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday put full-page advertisements in local dailies asking people not to succumb to militant threats and resume their normal activities like opening shops, 68 days after the Centre revoked the state’s special status and split the region into two union territories.
“Closed shops. No public transport? Who benefits?” reads the full-page advertisement.
Shops, businesses and markets were shut on Friday amid a heavy deployment of security forces. While public transport was off the roads, private vehicles were plying in many areas.
“We are at the crossroads today. Do we permit the age-old tactic of threats and coercion to influence us? Will threat and misinformation prevail or will we take informed decisions on what is best for us?” the ad said.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018 and the administration is led by governor Satya Pal Malik.
The shops have been shut since August 5 when government imposed strict restrictions on the movement of people and shut down phone connectivity and internet services after Article 370 was repealed by Parliament.
The ad campaign comes after information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar recently claimed that the situation in J&K is “normal” and the people are “happy” with the revocation of Article 370.
Though restrictions have been eased and landline telephone services were restored but a spontaneous shutdown by people continues and public transport has remained off the roads against the Centre’s decision. Many people fear that the revocation of the state’s special status will pave way for demographic change in the Valley.
“Will we let a few posters and threats push us into not resuming our businesses, not earning our legitimate livelihood … (and) not securing a rightful education and secure future for our children,” it said.
So far, the administration’s attempts to open schools, colleges and universities have not succeeded in getting students to attend classes. The parents say they don’t want to put the lives of their children at risk when there is no communication and the situation is not normal.
“This is our home. It is for us to think of its well-being and prosperity. Why fear,” the ads asked.
The ad campaign comes even as hundreds of people, including the youth, businessmen, lawyers, separatists and even mainstream political leaders such as three former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, are under detention.
The ads claimed the “people of J&K have been misled for over 70 years” and went on to target separatists as well.
“While separatists sent their children to exotic lands to study, work and earn, they instigate the common people to push their children into violence, stone pelting and ‘hartals’. They used threats of terrorists, coercion and misinformation to beguile the people,” it said.
While separatists have been known to call for months of protest calendars and shutdown calls in the past but this year they have mostly refrained from doing so as most of them are behind bars.
A trade union leader said the government’s ad campaign will have little effect on the ground as many people are angry over the revocation of the special status.
“If some of the businesses would open on the call of government, it will make them a target in the society which has been collectively hurt by the central government’s decisions,” he said.
Earlier, the government had run an ad campaign for many days citing the benefits of the revocation of Article 370.