Internet partially restored in Manipur, broadband allowed but no mobile internet

Responding to the demands from all sections of people, the Manipur government, after 84 days, partially lifted the ban on internet in the ethnic violence-hit state.

Manipur Home Commissioner T. Ranjit Singh, in an order, said that the state government has made considered decision to lift suspension in case of broadband service (Internet Lease Line and Fibre to the Home) conditionally in a liberalised manner subject to fulfilment of 10 conditions, including that connection has to be only through static IP.

Mobile internet is still banned.

The order said that the state government decided to keep suspension of mobile internet data as preparedness for having effective control and regulatory mechanism for mobile data service as there are still apprehensions about spread of disinformation and false rumours, through various social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.

Using electronic equipment like tablets, computer, mobile phone etc, bulk SMS and other messages can be spread for facilitating or mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators, which can cause loss of life or damage to public and private property by indulging in arson and vandalism and other types of violent activities for which the control mechanism is still poor, it said.

Singh, in his order, said that the state government has reviewed the issues of the ban on internet since May 3 continuously without any break (except for the exempted cases) and considered the suffering of the common people as the internet ban had affected important offices, institutions, cohort of people on work from home basis, chartered accountants firms, lawyers, health facilities, refuelling centres, recharging of electricity, mobile, booking for LPG, educational institutions, taxation-related offices, other online based citizen centric services etc.

Against the suspension of internet services in Manipur, several cases were filed in the Supreme Court, the Manipur High Court and the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC). The Manipur High Court earlier this month has directed the state government to lift the ban on providing internet through Internet Lease Line (ILL) across the state after ensuring that all the stakeholders have complied with the safeguards given by the expert committee, constituted earlier, court sources said on Saturday.

A division bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A. Guneshwar Sharma, in an order on July 7, directed the state government to lift the ban on providing internet through ILL across the state to facilitate limited access to internet services for the public, and to consider Fibre to the Home connections (FTTH) on a case to case basis, provided the safeguards put on record by the expert committee are complied with.

Some of the safeguards stipulated by the Expert Committee for internet access to be restored include limiting the speed to 10MBPS, securing undertakings from intended users that they will not indulge anything illegal, and subjecting the users to "physical monitoring by the concerned authority/officials".

The High Court directions came after a Public Interest Litigation filed earlier seeking restoration of internet services in Manipur, where internet suspension continued after the outbreak of the ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki communities since May 3.