Schools, colleges shut; curfew imposed, net banned
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 10 2024:
In light of the fresh bout of violence in the state, the Directorate of Education (Schools) has ordered the closure of all state government, government aided, private, and central schools on September 11 and 12 with the zonal education officers further directed to inform relevant institutions under their jurisdiction.
Similarly, the Department of Higher and Technical Education has extended closure of government, aided, and private colleges for the said days while Manipur University has announced postponement of all scheduled postgraduate and undergraduate examinations until further notice.
Students are advised to check official channels for updates on rescheduled exam dates.
Regardless of imposition of curfew, students staged protests in and around the capital city Imphal for the second day on Tuesday as security forces lobbed tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the protesters, subsequently forcing the state government to ban mobile internet for five days in the valley districts to prevent spreading of fake and concocted posts, photos, and videos.
Curfew orders issued Tuesday by the district magistrates concerned as well as the home department stated that the prohibition will cover areas under Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal districts to prevent potential trouble.
One of the orders, specified that due to the evolving law and order situation, curfew was re-imposed from 11 am to facilitate security forces handle the situation.
An indefinite curfew, preventing people from coming outside their houses, was clamped in Imphal East and West districts, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal.
As per the order issued by Imphal West district magistrate: "In supersession of all earlier orders, curfew relaxation period for September 10 is hereby lifted with effect from 11 am of today".
"Restriction On the movement of people outside their respective residences was lifted from September 1 last year," it said.
Earlier, curfew relaxation for September 10 was lifted from 5 am to 10 pm but was superseded with the latest order.
Essential services, including media, electricity, court and health, are however exempted from the purview of the curfew, it said.
The orders came in the wake of students planning to intensify their protests demanding the removal of the DGP and security advisor to the state government for their alleged inability to deal with the law and order situation in the state.
The prohibitory orders in Thoubal prevented the assembly of five or more persons as police claimed that at least one personnel was hit on the thigh by a bullet fired from among the protesting students in the district on Monday.
Regarding ban on mobile internet services for five days till September 15, home commissioner Ashok Kumar, in his order, said that 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 platforms.
".....temporary suspension imposed curbing of internet and mobile data services including Lease Lines, VSATs, Broadbands and VPN services in the valley districts for five days with effect from 3 pm of September 10 till 3 pm of September 15 except for those cases whereby state government has exempted and allowed for whitelisting," the order read.
The decision was taken to curb the use of social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video, the home commissioner said in a notification.
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