HC asks Manipur government to lift mobile internet ban in unaffected areas

IMPHAL: The Manipur High Court directed the state government to operationalize mobile towers on a trial basis in those district headquarters that have not been affected by ethnic violence, court sources said on Tuesday.

A division bench of Chief Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu Kabui directed the Manipur government to open and operationalize mobile towers on a trial basis in all those district headquarters that have not been affected by violence and thereafter, if found feasible, extend the services to other areas where the law and order situation permits.

The order comes after a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Aribam Dhananjoy Sharma and others.

The High Court also directed the state government to upload on its official website copies of all the orders issued in connection with the suspension or curbing of mobile internet data services.

The next hearing of the PIL has been scheduled for November 9.

As preventive measures and to curb the spread of harmful messages, photos, and videos by anti-social elements, Manipur Commissioner, Home, T. Ranjit Singh, extended the mobile internet ban till November 8.

The Home Department extended the mobile Internet ban three times in less than two weeks after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh recently indicated that the government would consider withdrawing the ban within the next few days.

In view of last month's massive students' agitation, the Manipur government, on September 26, two days after the ban was lifted after 143 days, again suspended mobile Internet data services, and after each of the five days, the ban was extended.

After the devastating ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities on May 3, mobile internet was banned in the entire northeastern state. After the situation was largely normalised, the ban was lifted on September 23, but it had to be imposed again on September 26 after hundreds of students clashed with security forces following images of the bodies of two young missing students, including a girl, circulating on social media.

The All Naga Students' Association of Manipur often blocks highways, protesting against the extension of the internet ban in hilly districts not affected by ethnic violence. The blockade has affected the supply of essential commodities in a number of places in Manipur. (IANS)

Also Read:  Mobile internet ban in Manipur again extended till November 8

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