Manipur: Net ban extended till July 20; SC to hear matter

The Manipur government on Saturday extended the internet ban on the state for five more days till July 20, an official order from the Home Department said.

The official notification, issued on July 15 by T Ranjit Singh, Commissioner (Home), extended the 73-day internet ban till 3:00 PM on July 20.

The notice listed the reasons for the extension of the ban – such as a report submitted by the Manipur Director General of Police on July 14. The report said that “there are still reports of incidents of violence, attacking and arson of houses and premises including exchange of firing”.

The government has contended that restoring internet connectivity would mean “that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages… which might have serious repercussions on the law and order situation”.

The latest order is one of many issued by the Manipur government to periodically extend the internet ban which has been in effect since May 3, when the ethnic violence between the majority Meiteis and the minority Kuki-Zo started.

SC to hear petitions to allow internet connectivity in Manipur

The continued internet ban in the state has been challenged by several people and organisations, who have petitioned the Manipur High Court and the Supreme Court for the resumption of internet connectivity.

The Manipur High Court had directed the state government on July 7 to lift the ban on Internet Lease Line (ILL) and Fibre To The Home (FTTH) connections “after ensuring that all the stakeholders have complied with the safeguards suggested by an Expert Committee.”

The Expert Committee had stipulated some conditions for restoring internet access, such as limiting the speed to 10 MPBS, making the users sign undertakings that they will not use the internet for illegal purposes, and physically monitoring the users by ‘the concerned authority/officials’.

However, the state government has challenged the High Court order, and a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha will hear the matter on July 17.