For the second day on Wednesday, almost all government offices in the Naga inhabited hill districts remain deserted. This is in response to the call given by All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) which had demanded the restoration of the internet services in the “peace” areas.
The State government had suspended internet services following information that some “anti-social elements” have been the social media platform to “spread fake news and images” to stoke the communal violence.
The government sources said that the efforts to restore peace and normality would be hampered if the “anti-social elements” got a free hand.
However, some people went to the court contending that all sections of employees in general and media persons in particular were facing hardships. The State government had restored the internet services in some selected offices, enabling all Imphal-based reporters of local and national press and media numbering over 500 to use the recently installed internet service in the department of Information and Public Relations .
The ANSAM says that the communal trouble is between two groups of people and the innocent persons in the “peace” districts should not be penalised. In the last meeting, Chief Minister N. Biren gave an assurance that the government would restore internet in five days “in view of the improved situation”. However, this did not materialise following some incidents of violence.
As the ANSAM ultimatum, expired the Naga students went ahead on Tuesday with the picketing of the government offices in the hill districts. Besides the ANSAM members also staged sit-in protests. As the government offices were padlocked, the employees were not able to attend work. Highly placed sources said that if the situation did not improve, internet services might remain suspended for some more time. The ANSAM says the general administration in the hill districts was affected and the students were also denied all facilities, including online classes.
Meanwhile, Home Commissioner T. Ranjit has written a strongly-worded letter to a telecom provider after reports of internet services being provided in violence-affected Churachandpur district.
