As the shutdown over abrogation of Article 370 provisions continued for the 68th day, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has come out with a full-page advertisement in local dailies asking people not to be afraid of militant threats and resume their normal activities.
"Are we going to succumb to militants? For over 70 years now, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been misled. They have been victims of a vicious campaign and motivated propaganda that has kept them trapped in an endless cycle of terrorism, violence, destruction and poverty," the advertisement, published in various dailies of Kashmir, reads.
The Kashmir valley has been witnessing continuous shutdown since August 5 when the Centre revoked the state's special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
In the ad, the government highlighted how the separatists sent their children to "exotic lands" to study, work and earn while instigating 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. Today, militants are using the same tactic of threats and coercion. Are we going to tolerate this," it asked.
The government also asked the people whether they would allow this "age-old tactic of threats and coercion" to influence them.
"Will threat and misinformation prevail or will we take informed decisions on what is best for us? Will we let a few posters and threats push us into not resuming our businesses, into not earning our legitimate livelihood, into not securing a rightful education and secure future for our children, into not letting development bloom for our Kashmir," it added.
The government said it was for the people of Kashmir to think about the well being of the valley.
"This is our home. It is for us to think of its well being and prosperity. Why fear?" it asked.
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