Amid sporadic violence, Manipur extends internet suspension for 12th time

July 1, 2023 22 Views No Comment

Imphal, July 1 (IANS) As sporadic incidents of violence continued in Manipur, the state government on Friday extended the suspension of internet services for the 12th time till July 5, to curb the spread of rumours and videos, photos, and messages, which might deteriorate the law and order situation.

Manipur Home Department Commissioner T. Ranjit Singh, in a notification, said that to thwart the designs and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order.

The Manipur High Court had, last week, directed the state authorities to provide limited internet services to the public in some designated places under the control of the state authorities.

Its direction came on a Public Interest Litigation filed by different individuals.

A division bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A. Guneshwar Sharma, had directed the service providers of Vodafone, Idea, Jio, BSNL and Airtel to file a short affidavit explaining whether there is any possibility of providing limited internet services to the public by blocking social media, websites and by assuaging the concern of the state government to maintain law and order.

Taking into consideration the hardship faced by the public, especially with regard to the ongoing admission process of the students in the state and to enable the people to carry out urgent and essential tasks, the high court directed the state authorities to provide limited internet service in some designated places under the control of the state authorities.

The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) earlier asked the state government to consider restoration of internet services which had been suspended since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3.

Following a complaint by Aizawl resident Kammingthang Hangshingan, MHRC Chairperson Justice Utpalendu Bikash Saha and member K.K. Singh, in an order, asked the Home Commissioner to consider restoration of internet services in Manipur.

Various organisations, including the opposition Congress, have been demanding immediate restoration of internet services in Manipur. Chongtham Victor Singh, an advocate with the Manipur High Court, recently filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the mechanical and repeated shutdown of the internet in Manipur. The petition said the government claimed that the state was returning to normal, but continued to suspend the internet services.

Since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, people have been facing scarcity of various essentials, transport fuel, cooking gas and life-saving drugs, disruption in banking and online facilities affecting normal life, the Internet suspension for around two months across the mountainous state further added to the misery of the people.