The Legitimate Communication Gag
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has finally decided to restore the broadband services partially in Kashmir region and 2G mobile phone services in Jammu region.
The move came after JK administration got a dressing down from the Supreme Court and termed the internet as fundamental rights of people.
In its harsh observations made over some petitions filed by the citizens urging it to ask JK admin to revoke the ban on internet, the Supreme Court observed that internet is the basic right of people. It had observed that government can snap this basic right in only exceptional situations.
The bench also ordered the Jammu and Kashmir administration to put in public domain all orders that can then be challenged in a court of law and claims indefinite shutdown of internet violates the telegram rules. Internet freedom activists said the court’s decision should enable more scrutiny of suspensions.
The Court had given a week’s time for the state administration to review its decision. The JK, administration however, on Tuesday came up with a different response and decided to open up 400 more kiosks in Kashmir valley to cater the need of people.
In a response prepared by the state admin, it justifies the ban and said that anti national elements and Pakistan backed inimical elements are hell bent to disturb the prevailing calm in valley. And restoration of internet services at this juncture may benefit the Pakistan and its allies in valley to foment trouble.
Few days back, after Supreme Court observations, the America has also observed its dismay over continue restrictions on communication and detention of political leaders.
The Trump administration expressed its dismay days after its envoy along with 15 others of different countries visited the valley officially to assess the situation on ground post Article 370 abrogation.
It is evident that after Article 370 scrapping on August 5 last year, Delhi is facing lots of pressures at both domestic and international level over consistent restrictions on communications. On Delhi’s part despite facing huge pressures little has been done to restore internet based communications in Kashmir.
While it is important to maintain peace in the region and elsewhere in country, spontaneous communication gag cannot be a permanent solution. In 2018, in many troubling parts of the country centre suspended the internet to quell the protests and restore normalcy.
Internet is the basic infrastructure and has intervened in every facet of life. Banning internet simply amounts putting life on halt and crippling economy. Dealing with law and order without affecting the commoners shall be the primary responsibility of government.
In this case, it is required to have a diverse and substantive virtual policy in place with fool proof security measures. The digital internet policy would not only benefit the socio economy sectors, however, in future may also reduce pressures to the regimes of the day.
While center assures to bring massive financial investments in Union Territory, before doing so it needs to revisit its virtual policy in erstwhile state. There is a correlation and complete dependence of business on internet and depriving of it may incur huge business losses notwithstanding the impact on social life.
