The Manipur government has extended its suspension of internet services for the tenth time to prevent the spread of rumours and videos, photos, and messages that might affect the law and order situation. Amid intermittent incidents of violence, the Manipur Home Department Commissioner T. Ranjit Singh noted that “anti-national and anti-social elements” are using the internet to execute their wrongful activities. Therefore, the government needs to take adequate measures to maintain law and order. The suspension will remain in place until June 25.
However, there have been reports of hardship faced by the public, especially regarding ongoing admission processes for students, and essential tasks. This has prompted the Manipur High Court to order the state authorities to provide limited internet service in some designated locations. Five major service providers, including Vodafone, Idea, Jio, BSNL, and Airtel, have also been directed to file a short affidavit explaining whether there is any possibility of providing limited internet services to the public by blocking some social media and websites in compliance with maintaining law and order.
Various organisations, including the opposition Congress, are also demanding that internet services be restored immediately. Moreover, the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has asked the government to consider restoring internet services, which have been suspended since May 3, calling it a “human rights violation.” The MHRC issued the order following a complaint by an Aizawl resident about the suspension of internet services in Churachandpur district.
Chongtham Victor Singh, an advocate with the Manipur High Court, recently filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the shutdown of the internet in Manipur, which has been described as “mechanical and repeated.” The petition argues that the government claimed that the state was returning to normal, yet it continued to suspend internet services. For the past few weeks, shortages of various essentials, transport fuel, cooking gas, and life-saving drugs, as well as disruption in banking and online facilities, have affected normal life in Manipur. The suspension of the internet for around 50 days throughout the mountainous state further exacerbates the situation and has increased the misery of its people.
