Khushi Vats, Pune
Manipur government partially removed the ban on the use of the internet in a “liberalized manner” on Tuesday. This comes three months after the state government imposed a ban on broadband services in lieu of the ethnic violence in the state. However, as per the Home Department, the internet is still suspended and will remain so until the next order.
The statement of the Home Department said, “Connection will be through static IP and that the subscriber concerned must not accept a connection other than allowed for the time being [TSP/ISP shall be held responsible for non-compliance of this condition].”
“No Wifi Hotspots will be allowed from any of routers and systems using the connection at any cost by the concerned subscriber,” it added.
After a time span of around three months, the government has finally considered the plight of the people of Manipur. The internet ban has already affected people working from their homes, offices, and institutions, mobile recharging, payment of electricity bills, e-commerce, and other services.
The ban on broadband has been lifted on the basis of terms and conditions.
The ban was imposed on May 3, 2023. On May 4, a horrendous incident of a few Meiti men parading naked Kuki women happened. The video of this incident caught the eyes of the rest of the nation only in the second week of July when it went viral all over social media.
Common people, politicians, along with celebrities from all over the world reacted to that video.
The Manipur protests have already seen mass destruction in the state. PM Modi also faced a no-confidence motion vote in parliament amid a deadlock with the opposition on the issue.