A Return To The 1990s As Kashmiris Tune Into Radio News In Absence Of Internet And TV thewire.in

The ongoing communications and internet shutdown in Kashmir, which completed a month on September 5, has brought people closer to another medium and source of news – the radio. The transistors, earlier left untouched at homes, are now buzzing in hundreds of homes across the Valley, bringing authentic news of the current situation in the region, and what the world is saying about the scrapping of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state.

Parvaiz Ahmed, a businessman from Sopore, said he dusted off his old radio set soon after all communication lines were snapped by the government on August 5. Since then, he hasn’t parted with it – his only source of authentic news about Kashmir and the outside world. “People in our village and neighboring areas are eagerly listening to the news about Kashmir on their radio sets,” said Ahmed, adding that many often carry around the device while moving from one place to another just in case they need to tune in to any latest news about the region.