Srinagar: In a bid to raise awareness about coronavirus pandemic, a Kashmir-based Urdu newspaper ‘Roshni‘ attached a facemask on its front page in its Tuesday edition with a text saying, “mask ka istemal zaroori hai” (using a mask is important).
The subtext of the daily said, “With this, not only you but those around you can also stay protected from coronavirus”.
Zahoor Shora, Editor of the Roshni explained this innovative approach saying, “We thought it was important at this time to send out this message to the public, and this was a good way of making them understand the importance of wearing a mask”.
Jehad Shora is the person behind this creative awareness. Shora, in an interview with Free Press Kashmir said that in Kashmir, people had plenty of excuses to avoid wearing masks and that’s how the idea came to his mind.
Social media users appreciated the move by the newspaper.
Zubair Ahmad, a Srinagar resident said, “A newspaper costs around Rs 2 and if the publisher is giving a free mask with it, just because they want the people to be aware of how important it is, we must appreciate it. Even if some people read this newspaper at home the larger message does go out”.
According to the data by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 14,650 cases of coronavirus to date. In the past 24 hours, more than 750 cases emerged in the region and a total of 254 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported.