TMNL demands mobile net ban lift, warns stir
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, October 16 2023: Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL) has demanded immediate lifting of the current internet ban in Ukhrul district, warning of stringent agitations if the government does not take appropriate action to address the issue.

Briefing media persons at its office in Ukhrul town on Monday, TMNL president Themaso Tallanao said that the continued mobile internet blackout in the district for the last 161 days, has deprived the populace of basic facility, negatively impacting their day-to-day livelihood activities that depend on internet.

"We have repeatedly apprised the chief minister of our demand for lifting of the ban in public interest.

Apart from submitting a memorandum on September 30, we had a personal meeting with the Chief Minister in his office chamber on October 6, during which the CM himself had given us a verbal assurance of revoking the ban.

But now our pleas have fallen to deaf ears," he said.

Taking strong exception to the insensitivity towards the sentiments of the public, the TMNL leader said that the youth council would be forced to take recourse to various agitations until the internet ban is revoked unconditionally.

He said that the only remedy the state could offer the citizens at this hour would be to revoke the internet ban unconditionally, effective immediately.

Tallanao said that the youth council welcomed the proposed visit of the chief minister at Ukhrul district headquarters on October 18, and reiterated its demand for lifting of the ban.

He informed that a rally was scheduled to be held in Ukhrul town on Monday to press the government for lifting the internet shutdown but was called off in the interest of maintaining peace and harmony.

According to Tallanao, the citizens of the hill districts of the state, for 161 days, have kept their patience with the state government to bring an end to the on-going conflict and to resolve the blanket internet ban.

However, the blatant negligence and inaction has proved to be deliberate deprivation of basic rights of the people living in the non-conflict hill regions of the state as the conflicted areas continue to have access to unlimited broadband connection (Airtel, Jio, BSNL).

"Ukhrul HQ, for instance, has a total of 220 broadband connections against 6,000 and more households in the headquarters and 36,000 and more in the district.

The digital inaccessibility and disparity are inimitable and concerning, to say the least, " he said.

At the same time, the TMNL in a statement, maintained that the hill districts are no strangers to such obliterations, the most recent move being the declaration of non-conflict areas i.e., hill districts as 'disturbed areas' furthering the existent psychological and emotional vulnerability under the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).

On the contrary, the conflicted areas continue to be tagged 'undisturbed' .

The state government and the authorities concerned must no longer remain a mute spectator.

They must stop gaining their political mileage from the on-going and regrettable ethnic/communal clash.

The public will no longer be appeased by mere 'development plans' when our economic, social, and political rights continue to be downplayed.

The public cannot be made to pay for the failure of the state, it said.

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