Mobile internet services suspended in Manipur

May 4, 2023 6 Views No Comment

Prohibitory orders in two districts

Imphal, May 4 (MExN): The Manipur Government, on May 3, ordered the suspension of internet services for five days in the territorial jurisdiction of the State while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts.

”In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, having satisfied that the above situation is likely to cause serious disturbances to the entire peaceful co-existence of the communities and maintenance of public order, do hereby order suspension/curbing of mobile data services in the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Manipur,” an official order dated May 3 read.

It further said asked all mobile service providers to ensure compliance with the order and any person “found guilty for violation of aforesaid orders will be liable for legal action.”

The order is being passed ex-parte in view of the emergent situation, stated the order from Commissioner (Home), Manipur.

The order stated that a rally was organised by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) in all hill districts on May 3 with “total shutdown” from 6AM-4PM in “protest against the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetel in Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.”

During the rally and total shutdown, there were ‘reports on incidents like fighting amongst volunteers/youths of different communities and situation is tense and volatile’ in the districts of Bishnupur and Churachandpur, it added.

The order further claimed that “some anti-social elements are using social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public.”

“There is an imminent danger of loss of life and for damage to public/private property and wide spread disturbances to public tranquillity and communal harmony, as a result of inflammatory material and false rumours, which are being/could be transmitted/circulated to the public through social media/ messaging services on mobile services, SMS services and dangle services,” it added.

Accordingly, to thwart the design and activities of “anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent any loss of life or danger to public/private property, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order in public interest, by stopping the spread of disinformation and false rumours, through various social media platform,” it added.

The platform could be use for “facilitating and/or mobilization of mobs of agitators and demonstrators,” it noted, thus necessitating the suspension of services.

In Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, the respective administration issued prohibitory orders on May 3.

In Churachandpur,“Total Public Curfew Prohibiting the Movement of Any Person outside their respective residences, with immediate effect and until further orders” were imposed in “whole areas under the revenue jurisdiction of Churachandpur district particularly Kangvai, Tuibong and Churachandpur sub-divisions.”

“This order is directed to the public in general and as the circumstances do not permit of the serving In due time of a notice upon the person against whom the order is directed, this order is passed ex-parte,” stated the order issued by District Magistrate Churachandpur.

The district administration of Bishnupur also issued prohibitory order under sub-section 2 of section 144 CrPC with immediate effect from 6PM of May 3 by restricting “assembly of five or more persons, which is likely to turn unlawful” and “carrying of sticks, stones, firearms without a valid License, weapons or objects of any description, which can used as offensive weapons.”

The prohibition applies to the whole revenue jurisdiction of the district, stated the order issued by Deputy Commissioner, Bishnupur.

Meanwhile, as per the PTI news agency, thousands of people Wednesday turned up at the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by ATSUM in all the ten hill districts of the state to oppose the demand for inclusion of Meitei community in the ST category.

The union said that it was called to express dissent to the “persistent demands of the Meitei community for its inclusion in the ST category” gaining momentum.