A day after Supreme Court of India refrained from passing a ruling on the restoration of high-speed internet in Jammu and Kashmir, the union territory administration came up with yet another extended deadline. Between the judicial take and executive control, commoners continue to pay through their noses in Kashmir.
Swati Joshi
HOURS after the Supreme Court of India announced the much-awaited 4G order, a Kashmiri student preparing for competitive exams messaged Kanan Gopinath, the former IAS officer who last year resigned from the service to protest against New Delhi’s decision to abrogate the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
“Supreme court was our last hope,” the student told Gopinath according to his tweet. “But now it’s broken.”
The student who has completed his board exams complained of no support from mainstream media and political leaders. With two months remaining for the exams, the student requested the former IAS officer to raise the issue on national media.
“Supreme court was our last hope. But now it’s broken.”
– How a young student from J&K is going to remember India’s judiciary as he grows up.
We have failed our own citizens. Terribly failed. On all fronts. pic.twitter.com/IHcR9A4Z5f
— Kannan Gopinathan (@naukarshah) May 11, 2020
On Monday, the Supreme Court of India declined the pleas for restoration of 4G internet services in the valley in its judgment. The top court taking cognizance of the “concerns” relating to Covid-19 and the “hardships” faced by people has ordered to set up a “special committee” comprising of Secretary of Ministry of Communications, Chief Secretary of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, headed by the Union Home Secretary.
The judgment by the apex court received a plethora of responses from netizens.
“Strange times,” one netizen tweeted, reacting to the verdict, “Umpire asks batsman to decide whether he is out or not.”
Strange times. Umpire asks batsman to decide whether he is out or not. ????#Kashmir #4G verdict By Supreme court of India
— Dar Saju (@DarSaju8) May 12, 2020
The special committee formed by the apex court would examine the “contentions of and the material placed” by both the petitioners and respondents. The top court directed the committee to scrutinize the alternatives suggested by petitioners regarding limiting of internet speed in certain areas and allowing 3G and 4G on a trial basis over certain “geographical areas”.
Considering that high-speed internet was banned by the Bhartiya Janta Party-led central government, the judgment puts the ball back into the government’s court.
“…For 4G in Kashmir SC ropes in Govt Agencies in decision making. Why not just hear GOI and decide? Scared. Or learning from Politicians?” asked one of the netizens.
@barandbench Who will take Suomoto notice and issue directions to Government? For 4G in Kashmir SC ropes in Govt Agencies in decision making. Why not just hear GOI and decide? Scared. Or learning from Politicians?
— Ambar Sarkar (@AmbarSarkar) May 12, 2020
Fast internet services in Kashmir were removed post the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year. Since then people are finding it difficult to communicate with the outside world using 2G.
Journalists, doctors, students, businessmen have suffered because of the slow internet services in the valley. A person preparing for a competitive exam expressed his helplessness on social media. Acknowledging the fact that 4G services are working in rest of India sans J&K he feels he is already laid back in the competition.
“So technically its 2g vs 4g, and we all know who will win?” said the netizen.
I am also from jammu and kashmir. Situation is very bad here, everyone who is preparing for competitive Exams are suffering alot. Now they have to compete with rest of the country with those who are enjoying 4g.
So technically its 2g vs 4g, and we all know who will win?— Adv. Sahib Thakur (@Sahib4625) May 11, 2020
A three-judge bench of the apex court comprising of Justices NV Ramana, R Subhash Reddy, and BR Gavai headed by Justice Ramana said “peculiar circumstances” in the Union Territory required “delicate balancing” of “national security concerns and human rights”.
The petitioners Foundation for Media Professionals, Soayib Qureshi and Private Schools Association J&K had filed pleas for restoration of the 4G network in the valley on grounds such as the right to health, right to education, right to business, and right to freedom of speech and expression.
The petitioners also alleged that during the pandemic, “availability of effective and speedy internet in order to access medical services and information on containment strategies” is important.
Kashmir has reported 879 cases of coronavirus. People in Kashmir are not even able to search topics on Google properly, expressed a netizen’s tweet.
#India must restore #4G in #Kashmir. The global #pandemic #coronavirus precautionary measures are must, but #Kashmiri people can’t even properly search things on Google. International community should act on this.#HumanRights#HumanRightsViolation #Covid_19
— Mursaleen wafai (@mursaleenwafai1) May 11, 2020
While the rest of the world was celebrating International technology Day on Monday, Kashmir was waiting for the top court’s decision on the restoration of 4G. Access to the internet is a very basic and essential technology especially during the pandemic, opined a netizen.
Can we please consider the impact of having no 4G services in Kashmir while we celebrate technology day? #NationalTechnologyDay
A very basic technology access to rest of the country which is an essential especially during a PANDEMIC! https://t.co/YohDcHVNJZ— Riti (@quietgenre) May 11, 2020
A majority of people cannot afford broadband and fiber connections, claimed one of the netizens. People in the valley are struggling to download the Arogya Setu app with 2G speed. The app is recommended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to check the spread of the virus.
Requesting to kindly resume 4G internet services in Jammu and kashmir.
Majority of the people cannot afford broadband or fiber connections making it difficult to use AROGYA SETU APP which will help in tracking the virus and safeguarding public.@narendramodi @rsprasad @PMOIndia— chetan Gupta (@chetanhelrazor) May 9, 2020
The petitioners also contended that restriction of internet speed impacts the students of J&K to “exercise their right to education”. The petitioners presented an affidavit of a journalist who collected testimonies of doctors, teachers, students, journalists, lawyers, and businesspersons from the Union Territory, and of technical expert narrating importance of 4G internet.
Many students preparing for the competitive exams are severely affected by the slow internet services in the valley. Even students returning to Kashmir from various states would be restrained from attending online classes due to poor connectivity. A netizen claimed that it takes 1 hour to properly see a video of 10 minutes using 2G.
Many college students belonging to Jammu and Kashmir went back home but now when many colleges will be starting online classes so how do we expect these students to get access to this because with a 2g speed it takes 1hr to properly see a video of 10 mins#JammuAndKashmir #4G
— Raman Ayush (@RamanAyush51) May 11, 2020
While 4G restrictions in the valley continues, a netizen asked the administration for a better solution to handle security concerns rather than snapping the fast internet services. He complained of the difficulty in watching lectures using 2G and said that he doesn’t have hawk eyes to see words clearly in “240 mp mode”.
Emphasizing the need to find an urgent solution for the problem, the netizen claimed that stopping 4G “was never the permanent solution and it will never be”.
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