Kashmir Valley: 4-Month-Long Internet Shutdown Worries Locals

Internet Shutdown? Oops!

Everyone in this modern world knows what this means in their daily routine. In fact, one can’t even imagine this situation happening to them not even for a single day.

But Kashmiris have been undergoing this fate in the Valley since more than four months, facing hardships for internet access to meet their basic needs at least.

This decision is part of the Central Government measures to control law and order situation in the J&K region post the #Article370 revocation, and has been on since August 05, 2019.

Though the government initially implemented a complete communication shutdown, mobile and telephone communication were later restored, leaving internet unchanged even till date.

As a result, people in the Valley are finding it hard to meet their basic works like registrations, updating licenses, applying for exams, etc. that need internet.

And, they have only one option since November 11, 2019 i.e., reach a nearby town by a train they call as ‘Internet Express’ and return the same day.

“If I had any other option, I wouldn’t be here,” says a 16-year-old student who wants to apply for her exam online.

The continuous internet shutdown for around 7 million population in the Valley has successfully reached 134th day on December 16, 2019 and is dubbed as the ‘longest-ever internet ban imposed in a democracy’, says Access Now, an international advocacy firm that monitors internet suspension.

Kashmir Valley: 4 Month Long Internet Shutdown Worries Locals – Video

With this, India joins the list of China and Myanmar known for longer internet shutdown.

‘Unprecedented for Democracy’

Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia-Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, terms this as ‘unprecedented’ for a democracy blocking internet for such a long period.

“The original idea that was asserted by the government for shutting down communications was to prohibit unrest, but that really cannot be the argument after four months,” says David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression.

To this, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar statement in September 2019 reads, “How do I cut off communications between the terrorists and their masters on the one hand but keep the Internet open for other people?”

According to a government official, terrorist threat to data and communication still exists and the government is finding ways to address public hardships caused by blockage.

Kashmir Internet Shutdown: ‘Unprecedented for Democracy’ – Video

‘Blackouts’ in India Growing

As the reports say, internet shutdown in the name of law enforcement has become common and India has the long list of such blackouts.

Most recently, the government has reportedly blocked internet in Guwahati as a measure to control violence in Guwahati on the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019.

Software Freedom Law Center reports 60% of blackouts in the country.

Local businessmen of the Kashmir Valley report huge losses due to the internet blockage. “My audience doesn’t have Internet access, so what’s the point of making new work?” says a businessman.

Another doctoral candidate at the University of Kashmir had to travel 300 km just to check an email update on his submission to international journals.