Manipur is burning but the rest of India did not care. The violence in the State began on May 3, 2023, but the nation was in deep slumber till July 19. It took a video clip of sexual violence by a mob to surface and go viral on social media that day and 78 days for the Prime Minister of India to break his silence. During this period an Internet shutdown has continued in the northeast State. What was its propriety and its role in our national apathy?
Blanket order, no supportive data
Data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India show that the people of Manipur access the Internet primarily through their smartphones; and wired Internet users primarily constitute institutional, commercial and higher socio-economic groups. Out of a total pie of 0.05 million wireline and 2.36 wireless million users, about 2.2 million connect to the Internet. The Internet shutdown in Manipur, first enforced on May 3, is a case of blanket prohibition. The entire State is affected, and it is not a case of some of a total of 16 districts being affected; it covers all web traffic and mediums of connectivity.
