INTERNET SHUTDOWNS DON'T KILL RUMOURS, HIT BIZ, EDUCATION

The continuing violence In Manipur between the majority Meitei community and the hills’ tribal Kuki groups has inflicted heavy collateral damage in an unexpected area: internet communication. The state government, unable to control the flare-up, cut internet connectivity on the 3rd of May, and has since been extending it from time to time.

- GURBIR SINGH

Among the many reasons given in its latest order extending the ban till 20 June, the Commissioner (Home}, Government of Manipur, says “some anti-social elements may use social media extensively to transmit images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public..”

But isn’t this akin to throwing out the baby with the bathwater? A lawyer and a businessman from Manipur have filed a PIL in the Supreme Court claiming the continuing internet shutdown has seriously impacted business and education, and is disrupting normal social life. The apex court is on a summer break and the matter is yet to be heard.

A recently released report by the Human Rights Watch and the Internet Freedom Foundation says that the arbitrary internet shutdowns are incompatible with the ‘Digital India’ Mission and negatively impact the poorest of communities dependent on online services.

Trigger-happy policy

India has earned the dubious distinction of forcing the maximum number of internet shutdowns in the world. Internet shutdown tracker sflc.in has recorded as many 734 separate shutdowns since 2012, with Jammu and Kashmir accounting for the maximum number of breaches at 421.