The Manipur government is looking to set up kiosks across the State where citizens can access Internet services, The Hindu has learnt.
This comes a week after the Manipur High Court sought options for restoring the Internet with a restriction on social media websites and also directed the government to restore limited access at designated locations for the time-being.
A similar mechanism was set up in Jammu and Kashmir when Internet services were shut down after the special status under Article 370 was read down on August 5, 2019.
Internet services have been shut down in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic clashes broke out between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki-Zomi community. At least 100 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and tens of thousands internally displaced in the violence so far.
While mobile data and broadband services have largely been shut down since May, the administration has allowed some public spaces and government buildings such as the DIPR office and the High Court to access the Internet on select devices.
The Home Department had also allowed media houses operating in the Imphal Valley and offices of some civil society outfits in the hill district of Churachandpur to apply for Internet access.
Now, after the High Court’s order, the government is planning to expand such physical access points for Internet services throughout the State, in a bid to ease troubles faced by the society due to the shutdown, Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi confirmed to The Hindu.
In an affidavit before the High Court on June 16, the State government said the other options of providing limited Internet access, such as whitelisting allowed websites or blacklisting banned websites, would be reasonably susceptible to breaches by third-party VPN services.
A source close to the administration pointed out that when whitelisting was first tried in J&K in 2020, the administration had realised that VPNs were still breaking through the restrictions.
The physical kiosks are being planned as an alternative to such measures, the source said, adding that this would be considerably more secure and have a better chance of blocking social media access than other options.
The kiosks would have a limited number of computers, each of which will have a wired connection to the Internet and a secure firewall.
To expand such access points, the source said, the government was planning to rope in institutes and organisations that already have the physical infrastructure (computers, wires, and other equipment) and is already in talks with some. IA dozen private companies that have similar infrastructure have also approached the government to offer their services for this purpose.
However, sources in the administration and rights experts have maintained that the task was logistically monumental and that it would take time to be fully rolled out.
Despite this, such a system in a region witnessing daily conflict might not help the citizens, said Amrita Choudhury, Director of CCAOI (formerly known as the Cyber Cafe Association of India).
“Given the situation in the State now when violence on the streets is likely, one cannot expect citizens to travel to a physical access point to use Internet services. So many people need to use banking services online, health services, and communications and this might not really end up helping,” Ms. Choudhury explained.
The High Court is set to hear multiple pleas seeking restoration of Internet services on Friday.
IFF condemns shutdown
The Internet Freedom Foundation on Thursday issued a statement saying it was deeply troubled by the continuing Internet shutdown in the state and that it would be approaching the public authorities concerned with representations.
The IFF said that the blanket ban was being extended every five days through “templatised orders” and that this went against the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Anuradha Bhasin case. It also raised objection against the censorship of certain Twitter accounts.
The organisation condemned the use of sedition charge in the State, reports of which have emerged. “The IFF is deeply perturbed by these egregious violations of fundamental rights,” it said.
“Secrecy in online censorship and bans, which is a continuing administrative practice, undermines the individual’s fundamental right to expression and the collective fundamental right to receive information,” it added.
