Internet ban extended in Manipur, student bodies demand to lift it

Imphal, Nov 14: The Manipur government has extended the ban on the internet in the territorial jurisdiction of the state for another five days, till 7.45 p.m. of November 18.

Issuing an order in this regard on Monday, the Commissioner (Home) of the state government said the state government had already opened a few mobile towers in a few district headquarters, which have not been affected by the violence on a trial basis, as per the direction of the High Court of Manipur’s order after proper examination and assessment of the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

The state government is considering opening and operationalizing some more mobile towers in the other district headquarters on a trial basis, if the law and order situation permits, the order stated.

Meanwhile, six students’ bodies in the state, including the Manipuri Students' Federation, Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur, Kangleipak Students' Association, Students' Union of Kangleipak and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpang Lup, demanded the immediate lifting of the existing ban on mobile internet services in the state as students are facing inconvenience due to the ban.

The continuous ban on mobile internet service hampers educational activities, as such the student bodies, in a joint statement, urged the government to restore mobile internet service in view of the huge losses suffered in different sectors.

The Manipur government suspended mobile data services in some districts of the state on May 3 following ethnic conflict—a day later, all internet services had been shut down across the state since then.

The ban on mobile internet service was lifted on September 23 and it was banned again after fresh tension emerged following photographs of two missing students that emerged on social media on September 25.