Mir Mudasir
Eventually, the Jammu Kashmir administration has agreed to restore the internet in one district each of Kashmir and Jammu on a trial basis after Independence Day.
“The Special Committee held its third meeting on 10-8-2020. After considering the views expressed by the security agencies and the local agencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the pros and cons of multiple options that are available were further considered keeping in mind the security of the nation, the border security, public security, etc,” the affidavit reads. “It is submitted that the Committee was of the considered view that the threat perception on the security front in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be high. It was also of the view that internet speed related restrictions are not posing any hindrance to COVID control measures, access to education programmes, or carrying out business activities”, the affidavit reads.
It has now been more than a year as J&K is without 4G mobile services and pleas from people especially students, journalists, businessmen and people affiliated with tour and travel business have fallen to deaf ears. Though Supreme Court has also intervened however the people in JK are still waiting for relief.
The phone services were snapped in J&K last year, first mobile and then landline and there was a complete information blockade ahead of revocation of article 370 in the Indian parliament and bifurcation of J&K state into two UTs on August 5. It was for the first time the people in J&K had no means of communication available with them.
Though after months first the landlines were restored followed by postpaid mobiles and lastly the mobile 2G was also resumed and people stated waiting for the restoration of the 4G services. That didn’t happen and wait is getting longer. In J&K which is now a Union Territory after every couple of weeks the JK’s Home Department issues an order giving reasons for continuation on the ban on 4G due to the current situation as described by the various security agencies.
The SC had recently asked the solicitor general to clarify the statement of Lt Governor G C Murmu in which he had said that 4 G could be restored any time and he doesn’t fear of its restoration. However, with Marmu’s exit, the ball is now again in the court of new Lt Governor Manoj Sinha – who is a political Governor and people have a lot of expectations from him.
The Supreme Court recently asked the Narendra Modi government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to come up with a definite and final stand on resumption of 4G internet services in the union territory by 11 August.
Hearing a contempt petition filed by an NGO, the court also asked both to explore possibilities of restoring the network in some areas in the region.
“There is no question of further adjournment,” a special three-judge bench led by Justice N.V. Ramana told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, as it fixed the next date of hearing in the case on 11 August.
The move came after Mehta, who was appearing for the J&K administration, sought more time to clarify former Lieutenant Governor G.C. Murmu’s statement to the media on his recommendation to resume 4G connectivity in the UT.
Mehta said the L-G resigned Thursday and he required time to get instructions on it and file a response.
The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by the NGO Foundation for Media Professionals (FMP) against the central government and the J&K administration for non-compliance of SC order to constitute a three-member high-powered committee to look into the issue of restoring 4G services in J&K.
In an affidavit filed on 21 July, the Modi government had denied the allegations, submitting that the panel set up in accordance with the 11 May judgment decided against resuming the 4G services.
During the last hearing in the case on 28 July, the petitioner had relied upon Murmu’s interview to a national daily in which the L-G said he advocated the restoration of high-speed internet connectivity in J&K.
The Centre took time until the latest hearing to verify the media reports. “The earlier L-G gave a press interview. Now the LG has been changed. We need time to get instructions and file a response,” Mehta told the bench Friday.
To this, the bench said: “We want to know the basis for the decision (ban)? Is there a possibility that in some areas it can be restored? We cannot say what is happening on the ground but is there anything that can be done?” If sources are to be believed now the government is looking for the options whether the 4G could be released.
Without the mobile internet, the life in the UT has become very difficult for students and businessmen. The business community is already reeling under the stress. If the president of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries is to be believed then the business community has faced lost 40,000 crores from one lockdown to another. ‘’This time thousands of people in the service sector have been rendered jobless. Our handicrafts businessmen can’t take orders due to non-availability of the 4 G and if this continues the condition will become more volatile.’’
He said the businessmen who were giving jobs are now struggling to keep their families running. ‘’It has been now one year that our business is closed. We gave a revival plan to the top officials but nobody seems to be bothered at the highest level.’’
Even the students have been relying on the internet for education in the times of Covid19 and most of the schools have been running online classes to keep the students updated and well informed. But it’s the slow speed of the internet which is the biggest impediment and students, as well as teachers, face a lot of problems and the government needs to look into that aspect because the future of thousands of students is at stake. ‘’In absence of proper classes, the only remedy to keep education running was the online classes but the slow speed is the biggest impediment and government seems least bothered about it as they look every aspect of Kashmir through the prism of security,’’ said Khurshid Ahmad owner of a private school.
Even for the J&K’s Tourism sector, the slow speed of the internet is considered as the biggest hindrance, currently, tourism is passing through its worst phase and the government can’t neglect it. In present circumstances, nobody can think of tourism revival without the high-speed internet. ‘’From last one year nobody is visiting Kashmir, first it was lockdown due to abrogation of article 370 and now covid19 restrictions and restoration of the high-speed could have been some sort of relief. Though revival of tourism looks bleak,’’ said Khazir Mohammad a tour operator.
It would have been better for the J&K government to restore high-speed internet as it has been here in the past and didn’t have much impact on the situation, neither the slow speed internet has stopped the militancy in J&K, however, it’s sort of denying basic rights to the people of J&K who have their fundamental rights. Time has come if the government won’t restore the high-speed internet, the SC should step in and this is the high time when 4G should be restored.