Manipur Violence: The state of Manipur, which has been gripped by ethnic strife for more than four months, has declared that internet services will be fully restored from now on. According to Singh, the change resulted from the situation’s improvement.
Chief Minister Announces Restoration with Certain Terms
“I want to inform the people of Manipur that the state government imposed a ban on the internet to prevent untoward incidents. From today onwards, internet services will be resumed for the public,” the Chief Minister said at a press conference. According to an order from the state’s home department, internet services were once again available in Manipur on July 25 under particular terms and with a user commitment that had to be signed. Mobile internet services were still suspended at the moment. The decision was made following an assessment of the internet service prohibition, which had an impact on a number of industries, including businesses, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and online citizen-centric services.
The Conflict Between Meiteis and Kukis
The state government shut down the internet in May as a result of rising ethnic tensions between the minority Kuki tribe and the majority Meitei group. Since violence started on May 3, when a “Tribal Solidarity March” was held in the hill areas of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community’s desire for Scheduled Tribe (ST) classification, more than 160 people have died and hundreds have been injured. The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of the state’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. 40% of the population are tribal people, the most of whom reside in the hill districts, including the Nagas and Kukis.
Government’s Measures to Curb Unrest and Misinformation
According to the Manipur administration, the decision to halt internet access was made to “thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements” and to stop the dissemination of misinformation and false rumours on social media platforms. On April 28, the shutdown started in the Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts, and on May 3, the day that the violence started, it was expanded to the entire state. The prohibition has since been repeatedly extended to cover both broadband and mobile internet services.
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