Imphal: Three days after imposing a temporary ban on all internet services in the five valley districts, the Manipur government conditionally lifted the ban on broadband services, subject to several terms and conditions.
The notification from Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar mentioned, “The state government has decided to conditionally lift the suspension of broadband services (ILL and FTTH) in a liberalised manner, subject to the adherence to certain terms and conditions.” It detailed that connections must be through a static IP and subscribers are to refrain from accepting any connections other than those currently permitted. It also mandated, that “Wifi/hotspots are not to be created from any routers,” and the blocking of social media and VPNs must be implemented by the subscribers at the local level.
Nevertheless, the state government has chosen to maintain the suspension of mobile internet data, citing the risk of spreading misinformation and rumours via social media that could incite agitators and demonstrators, potentially leading to loss of life and property damage.
The state government had suspended internet services, including broadband and mobile data, from September 10 to September 15 in response to student protests demanding the removal of the DGP and security advisor for their alleged inability to handle attacks by militants.
Three days after imposing a temporary ban on all internet services in the five valley districts, the Manipur government conditionally lifted the restrictions on broadband services, subject to several terms and conditions, officials announced on Friday.
The notification from Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar indicated that the state government decided to conditionally resume broadband service (ILL and FTTH) in a liberalized manner, contingent upon adherence to specific terms and conditions. It was detailed that connections must be through static IP, and subscribers are prohibited from accepting any connections other than those currently permitted. The notification also mandated that no wifi/hotspots are to be created from any routers and that subscribers must enforce the blocking of social media and VPNs locally. The earlier protests led to confrontations with security forces, resulting in over 80 injuries among students and police officers.
In a separate incident, during security operations, forces uncovered a 7.5-foot homemade rocket in the densely wooded Shejang area of Churachandpur district, as reported by Manipur Police. Additionally, the operations led to the confiscation of a modified M-16 rifle, a sizable homemade mortar, a medium-sized homemade mortar, three medium bomb launchers, four bomb launchers, and three bombs.
