Internet ban: What Govt should do now
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 20, 2023 -
IF one kept track-record of the judgements passed by the apex court in the past, the refusal of Supreme Court of India to intervene with the Manipur High Court’s order, which directed the Government of Manipur to restore internet services in a limited fashion in the strife-torn state that has been affected by an unprecedented ethnic violence that broke out between Meetei/Meitei and Kuki-Chin communities since the evening of May 3, is on the expected line;
On several occasions, the apex court had given several landmark judgements declaring the paramount importance of internet services in different spheres of life and livelihood.
In fact, in the famous case, Aruradha Bhasin Vs Union of India of 2020, the apex court had even come up with detailed instructions and made it clear that the freedom of speech and expression and the freedom to practice any profession or carry on any trade, business or occupation over the medium of internet enjoys Constitutional protection under Article i9(i)(a) and Article 19 (i)(g) of the Constitution of India.
Given this track-record, the refusal of the Supreme Court of India to intervene with the Manipur High Court’s directive given to the Government of Manipur on July 7 for lifting the internet ban especially on Internet Lease Line (ILL) and Fibre To The Home (FTTH) services is understandable.
While hearing the plea filed by the Government of Manipur challenging the order of the high court, the apex court had also remarked that the Government of Manipur could approach the high court and apprise it of the difficulties faced in implementing the directive to restore internet services, if there is any. And, this is exactly, what the Government of Manipur should do.
Internet services have remained shut in Manipur since May 3 after a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) in the hill areas of the state against the Manipur High Court’s directive to the Government of Manipur for sending the requisite recommendation to the Central Government for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the ST list of the Constitution of India turned violent especially in Churachandpur town and finally led to unprecedented violent clashes between Kuki-Chin and Meitei/Meetei communities in other parts of the state.
Within minutes of the images and video clips of the violent clashes started appearing on various social media platforms, the state administration acted swiftly and announced imposition of blanket internet ban for five days, initially.
However, with no sign of any ebbing in the violent clashes that have so far claimed the lives of hundreds of people and displaced thousands of people on either side of the ethnic divide, the state administration has been extending the internet ban continuously after every five days, thus, putting the people, who depend on internet for various purposes in a tight situation.
Today, we are living in an age of information technology and internet has become a part and parcel of our daily life.
Whether in our professional or private life, in administration or education, in business transaction or communication, internet is indispensable today. So, with prolonged suspension of internet services to contain the volatile situation serving no purpose, rather than exacerbating the already debilitating socio-economic condition of the strife-torn state and its people, perhaps, it is high time for the state administration to think of ways and means to promote prudent use of internet.
And, that is exactly, what the Government of Manipur should do.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.