The Manipur High Court on Tuesday… Limited internet access provided at designated locations Following a petition seeking restoration of net access in the state. then the shutdown started Violent arson on 3 May And since then there were extensions of restrictions, the last one being Wednesday’s extension order till June 25. The request made is valid as the shutdown has a severe impact on several economic activities and livelihoods. Citizens are unable to access critical services like e-commerce related activities, except for those exempted from the shutdown with permission from the government. Violent incidents have been taking place in the state since May 3 and relations between Meitei and Kuki remain strained. But orders seeking to extend the shutdown cite threats to “law and order” and the role of “anti-social elements” – a euphemism for extremists engaging in violent acts or posting material promoting violence. These restrictions are in the interest of public emergency or public safety as per section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Telegraph Rules, rather than explicitly requiring maintenance. The Manipur government also told the high court that the shutdown was needed to block websites where inflammatory material could be published, but such a hammerhead approach is clearly problematic.
The Supreme Court in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020) held that indefinite suspension of internet services was a violation of law as freedom of expression and freedom to conduct commercial work using internet was a fundamental right. It also said that such suspension “should adhere to the principle of proportionality and not exceed the period necessary”. The continuation of mass suspensions like this one in Manipur shows that the government is only using shutdowns as a substitute for enforcing law and order – another ploy that was overshadowed by the court in its ruling. The situation in Manipur can be effectively dealt with by a regime that seeks to restore the trust of all stakeholders, engages with civil society actors in restoring inter-community dialogue, isolates extremists and restores peace. and takes a step-by-step approach to restore normalcy. , But under the leadership of an embattled chief minister – a leader who has lost the confidence of many of his allies – and many community representatives’ inability to rise above their ethnic identity to advance peace, sporadic violence continues When displaced people are not able to return home. However, this does not lend itself to continuing the internet shutdown which has been going on for over a month and a half, and which must end.