Srinagar: Netizens and common people from Kashmir have come down heavily on the state government for snapping cellphone services once again in past one month.
Authorities suspended calling facilities on all mobile phones except post paid mobile phones provided by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Thursday night.
Internet facilities on all mobile phones are already suspended.
Earlier, the service was suspended after massive protests erupted against the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Giving vent to their anger the netizens using social media criticized authorities and said that frustration has engulfed Mehbooba Mufti led government completely.
“This Government is adept in harassing people. It has devised new techniques to put people especially youth in trouble. When security agencies fail to deal with the protesters they snap mobile services to make us belive that they are complete failures,” wrote a user on the facebook.
The authorities had snapped mobile internet facility in the entire Valley on July 9. While the postpaid services were resumed on July 26, the incoming call facility on the prepaid numbers was restored a day later. However, the outgoing facility on such numbers continued to remain barred. Mobile internet also continued to remain snapped for the 35th day on Friday.
“On one hand, efforts are being made to proliferate information and communication technology (ICT) tools in the system of political and bureaucratic governance to achieve goal of good governance in the state. But on the other, blocking cyber space to its citizens complicates and deteriorates both the democratic and business aspects of the governance system. So here the concept of e governance seems a process to slice out people out of the global village,” wrote a Jammu Kashmir Bank officer adding that authorities should understand that the right to Internet access is fundamental human right including freedom of expression, right to freedom of speech etc. The access should not even be denied unreasonably to an individual. Let the government build up a strong e-platform to capitalize on the power of internet to win the confidence of its people.
Suspension of mobile internet across Kashmir and blockade of communication in South Kashmir has not only created chaos in the valley but has also affected the internet dependent businesses and students. While the subscribers, who are suffering losses due to snapping of the internet, seek “refund of charges” during the ban period, the service providers say they are incurring losses worth crores due to ban on mobile internet.
A user on Twitter sarcastically wrote that in the name of security and national interest this government in near future may put a ban on giving birth to babies. “After snapping phone services, this government may soon ask pregnant women to go for abortion and don’t give birth to offspring’s,” he wrote.
“Mufti’s claim they brought mobile service here. It is this claim that stops them from winding up this service from Kashmir. I am curious to watch what else this government will do to put people in trouble in future,” writes a facebook user.
Majority of the netizens claim that the move is aimed at to put people into more trouble. “I wonder what is Government is up to. Is there a sane fellow in PDP who could inform Mehbooba about the implications of the internet and phone ban. Alas! All advisors were called fools and inefficient by the court of the land,” wrote a journalist.
“Isn’t it irony and funny that for sake of few ‘protesters or what they (Government) call them ‘miscreants’ the cyberspace is blocked for millions of internet users. Keep it up, Mehbooba Mufti,” a businessman from Srinagar city told CNS.
