Manipur Govt to lift ban on mobile internet in district HQs unaffected by violence

Imphal: The Manipur Government has initiated the process to lift the ban on mobile internet services in four Naga tribal dominated hill district headquarters which have not been affected by the ethnic violence that has been going on in the state since May 3, officials said on Thursday.

Officials said that the process has been initiated to withdraw the internet ban on a trial basis in the district headquarters of Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel and Tamenglong, which are Naga tribal inhabited areas.

The Manipur Government took the initiative after the Manipur High Court on Monday directed the state government to resume mobile internet services, on a trial basis, in all those district headquarters which have not been affected by the ethnic violence.

In view of the state government’s steps to resume the mobile internet services in four hill district headquarters, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) on Thursday announced the withdrawal of the economic blockade from the highways.

The ANSAM in a statement said that in view of the dire hardship faced by the general public in the midst of the ongoing conflict and following the assurance by the Convener, Naga Legislator Forum (NLF), Awangbow Newmai, to fulfil the two legitimate demands of the organisation, the emergency meeting of ANSAM, Executive Council and representative of NLF, has been resolved to temporarily suspend the ongoing economic blockade being called by the association.

Newmai is also a minister of the BJP-led Manipur Government. The minister also assured that the result of the examination to recruit the Assistant Professor (145+45 ST special drive) would be declared promptly.

The ongoing agitation shall be resumed anytime in the event of failure to implement the agreements signed between the state government and ANSAM in the presence of the Chief Minister N Biren Singh on October 26, the statement said.

As a preventive measure and to curb the spread of harmful messages, photos, and videos by anti-social elements, Manipur Commissioner, Home, T Ranjit Singh recently further extended the mobile internet ban across the state.

After the devastating ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities on May 3, mobile internet was banned in the entire northeastern state.

After the situation was largely normalised, the ban was lifted on September 23, but it had to be imposed again on September 26 after hundreds of students clashed with security forces following images of the bodies of two young missing students, including a girl, circulating on the social media.