Manipur Shuts Down Internet Amid Student Agitation, Tensions Flare with Security Forces

IMPHAL: The Manipur government on Friday announced that it was shutting down internet services in the entire state for five days, commencing 3 pm today. The move comes after the protests by students turned increasingly violent in a bid to avoid the dissemination of inflammatory content on social media, which would further inflame the situation.

The order said the "suspension is aimed at checking the spread of hate speech, inflammatory images and videos that can further escalate the situation". The state's Home Department said this through an official notification. The ban also includes mobile data, lease lines, VSATs, broadband, and VPN services. It will be lifted after 3 pm on September 15.

The protests, which began over a week ago, have gradually gained momentum. Students have taken to the streets, demanding nothing less than the sacking of the DGP and the security adviser to the state government. Their frustration boiled over on Tuesday when hundreds-strong protesters, comprising students and women's groups, stormed through the streets attempting to march toward Raj Bhavan, the residence of the Governor, to press for their demands.

The situation became critical as the security forces began to prevent the protestors from getting closer to them. Tear gas shells have been fired down the streets of Imphal, with police trying to scatter the crowd. The air had smoke, yet despite all that, demonstrations persisted and heavy clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement.

The internet shutdown was one peace-and-order measure, according to officials, because social media have been the mobilizing point for the demonstrations. There are apprehensions that hate speech and provocative content are still spreading online, further inflaming violence in this already fragile environment.

Anti-government protests, with participation by various ethnic groups, have racked Manipur for several months, though the roots of the discontent lie in a cacophony of ethnic rivalries and disagreement over the government's way of handling internal security. The protests on Tuesday marked the latest flashpoint. Demonstrators cited grievances against the state's top police officer and security adviser for failing to restore order.

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