A section of the western media spreads propaganda about Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), because of which the actual situation in both these places stays hidden from the public eye, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the launch of the book ‘The Two Kashmirs’, a comparative analysis authored by journalist-turned-politician Sheikh Khalid Jahangir, the L-G said development in PoJK compared to J&K is abysmal but the “ecosystem of propaganda” has not allowed the facts to be presented.
Lashing out at ‘biased reports’, he said, “The western media talk about democracy, but by supporting the propaganda, they have done more harm than Pakistan.”
Sinha criticised the sections of media that advocate talks with Pakistan, and said they do so only to stay relevant.
“Had the money being spent by the [previous] Union government(s) in J&K been put to good use, we would have been far ahead…” he said, adding that in 2017, the central government’s average spending per person in the rest of the country was ₹8,227 as compared to ₹27,835 in J&K.
He also said that while the Centre is committed to providing jobs and earning opportunities for the youth in J&K, there is a need for the youth to shed the tendency to avoid working outside the Union Territory.
The youth in the Valley are reluctant to take up jobs elsewhere even though the government has organised skill training opportunities and job fairs, Sinha said.