Internet ban in Manipur takes toll on Press

Journos in Churachandpur await Home Dept ‘clearance’ for internet access

Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 20

The recent tumultuous events in Manipur brought routine day-to-day affairs to a grounding halt restricting movement of people and the blanket ban on internet for curbing incendiary social media messaging. Regarded as standard practice in modern day law and order management, the preventive measures however had unlikely victims. 

The shutting of the internet had several news portals practically paralysed. Only a handful of print dailies in the state capital allegedly retained access to the internet, while it became challenging for most publications, with some ceasing work. The internet ban started with the cutting of mobile internet service on the evening of May 3, followed soon by broadband.  

While the initial cutting of mobile data largely affected online portals, the subsequent shutting of broadband and depleting stock of printing material took a toll on the established print dailies. The situation came to such a stage that the All Manipur Working Journalists Union and Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) threatened to cease work on May 18. As reported by the Imphal Free Press, the two media bodies sought immediate access to the internet for media houses and journalists via designated government offices and Manipur Press Club. 

According to a publisher of one online news portal, based in one of the valley districts, he was forced to completely stop publishing in the initial few days following the ban. Publication resumed after the government gave access to wi-fi in select government installations but had to stop again because of weak data.  “Yesterday and the day before, there were lots of problems for the media. That is how we are working here. Even if they allow, the signal is so weak that we cannot upload visuals,” he said. 

He said that journalists have requested the state government to allocate them working space with wi-fi in select government establishments in every district. Following the cautioning from the AMWJU and EGM, he said that the government made arrangements for accessing internet in the branch offices of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations. 

According to him, the government was working out a process to resume broadband connection to media houses “but with permission from the Home Department.” 

He described the prevailing situation in his home town as “deceptively calm.” “It looks calm because of the presence of augmented security personnel. But tension is still there. Even my own locality is under tremendous fear psychosis,” he said.  

In Churachandpur
The situation for media houses in Churachandpur was no better, if not worse. There are 5 vernacular dailies (1 Hmar, 1 Vaiphe, 2 Paite and 1 Zo) and 6 local cable TV channels in the district.

The editor of one daily, who requested anonymity, told The Morung Express on May 19 that all the print news publications based in the district headquarters ceased publication after May 3, the day when the clashes started. The internet ban for the media houses there continued till May 14.  

He said that the publishers in Churachandpur lost complete access to the internet from May 3 to 14, while their counterparts in the state capital got restricted access to the internet. 

The journalists’ body of the district finally wrote to the district administration on May 14 requesting the government to make arrangement for internet access to the media. “We have not received any response from the district administration. The DC told us that they will seek permission from the Home Department but till now, there has been no reply,” he said.  

While response from the DC was pending, he said an internet access point (wi-fi) was arranged by the District Information Officer from where “we get access for around one and a half hours” following which they resumed work from May 15. 

With hardly any exchange between Churachandpur and the valley districts, he said they also made arrangements for sourcing newsprint from Aizawl via National Highway 102B. The road trip from Churachandpur to Aizawl takes around 13 hours. 

He described the situation in Churachandpur as fine with markets opening on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and no untoward incidents reported since May 9-10. But he added, “No one is crossing the inter-district borders. The Meiteis are afraid of coming to our district and we are also afraid of going out. “

Displaced people were said to be still coming into the district with the latest wave moving from Kangpokpi on May 18. He said that around 12,00 people were escorted by security forces and placed in relief camps. He added Churachandpur has around 45 relief camps housing approximately 6000 people. 

Meanwhile, in Kangpokbi district, there was an alleged blockade of the Dimapur-Imphal highway though it was not officially verified. According to a journalist from Imphal, the blockaded stretch lay between Kangpokpi district headquarters and Motbung. But he maintained that truckers from the valley districts are apprehensive of using the said highway. 

Another source informed that an unspecified number of Imphal-bound trucks were stranded in Mao Gate in Senapati district.