india

Updated: Sep 04, 2019 12:02 IST

As shutdown continues in the Kashmir Valley, the government has launched an advertisement blitzkrieg in major local newspapers to enlighten people about the benefits of abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.

This comes days after Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik had said that the government was planning to launch an awareness campaign about benefits of abrogation of the Article 370 and creation of 50,000 posts in the new union territory including its recruitment mechanism.

Full page advertisements have been issued by the state government to vernacular newspapers published from Srinagar with a tagline- ‘A single constitution for the entire country. How will Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh benefit?’

The message in different segments explains how the abrogation of the two laws by the parliament not only removed disparity but also gives benefits which will now onwards start reaching out to Scheduled Tribes, Schedule Castes and OBC’s. It also mentions how these two articles helped separatists and their associates and prevented the development of the state.

“So many women from the state have married and settled in other parts of country and even abroad. These women will now retain full and legal rights on land and other rights,’’ reads the message on gender discrimination.

The message also touches the West Pakistani Refugees living in Jammu– ‘Over 20,000 West Pakistan Refugees (WPRS) were hitherto aliens in their own country. They were denied all democratic rights as well as citizenship and property rights. They will now enjoy all democratic and other rights as citizens of the country’.

Recently, governor Satya Pal Malik had told mediapersons that they will be circulating messages about two important things through all newspapers published in the state.

“We will be publicising two or three important things through newspapers. What are the benefits of the abrogation of Article 370 both in Urdu, English in all newspapers. We will also give the dates of posts which will be filled by government in the coming days,’’ Malik had said.

Earlier, the army had also distributed handbills and pamphlets in some parts of Kashmir especially in south Kashmir describing benefits of abrogation of article 370 and 35 A.

Though communication blockade in the Valley continues despite the government claiming to have made 76 out of 96 telephones in Kashmir functional. However, internet services remain snapped, though postpaid mobile phones have been restored in only one of the ten districts of Kashmir.

Almost all prominent newspapers published from Srinagar have resumed their publication even though they have reduced the size of the papers.

On Tuesday, J&K government spokesperson Rohit Kansal had said that 93% areas in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are free from prohibitory restrictions and the situation has normalised.