Satwant Singh Rissam
Welcome back to 21st century. This welcome address is not incorrect for all those who missed Internet during past weeks in Jammu. For some people it was as if they were back in Stone Age. Interestingly, this revisit to Stone Age was with the help of stone throwing which started in Kashmir. This all started after the killing of a militant in Srinagar. He was militant of contemporary era and utilised the services of Internet to spread his cause on social media. He in a way fought mind battles with the help of Internet. His death led to stone pelting all over Kashmir and these stones in a way hit the Internet which resulted in ban on mobile internet services in J and K. Life came to standstill in J and K mostly for all as people these days are very dependent on Internet. However, worst sufferers were all those who have created their virtual image in the cyber world. They almost faced suffocation as Facebook and WhatsApp too stopped as result of mobile Internet ban in J and K.
Incidentally, it was not a blanket-ban and had many features like; mobile Internet services of all operators were banned in J and K, calling facility of private mobile operators were banned in Kashmir but calling services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) subscribers continued in Kashmir and broadband services of BSNL were operational all over J and K. So in this way it appears that half hearted effort was made to stop rumours and hatred to spread via social media. Moreover, now it appears that it just furthered the problems as the real goal to stop the things spreading on to Internet failed. Many videos relating to Kashmir violence were updated on YouTube on regular periods. Even youth in Kashmir changed their profile pictures on all social media platform with the picture of newly killed militant. It was an act to show and lend their support to the ongoing violence in Kashmir. The people who propagate hatred are well prepared and have availed broadband services by now. With this all they appear to have understood the methods adopted by administration. Questions are now raised as to why only the services of private mobile operators were suspended and how the subscribers of government owned BSNL mobile users got a chance to evade this torturous ban. This rule of differentiating between government and private operators hasn’t gone down well with the people in J and K.
Jammu region too suffered a lot but not just because of this ban on Internet but also because of very contrasting attitude of administration. Many voices were raised during this ban and asked why Internet is banned in Jammu region? Almost a month back Jammu people had faced Internet ban in Jammu as two Shiv Temples were desecrated by miscreants. At that time Internet services remained operational in Kashmir region and had no impact of social unrest in Jammu. Now when social unrest happened in Kashmir then why Internet ban was implemented in Jammu region. When this issue was raised by the civil society then administration responded that that have apprehension that some areas with Muslim population in Jammu region may also flare up with tension due to Kashmir issue. Sadly, this answer didn’t justify the ban on whole Jammu region as with the help of telecom operators specific area ban could have been very easy to implement.
Kashmir violence caused loss to business in the State of J and K. It was a peak tourist season due to Amarnath Yatra and both regions always garner benefit out of the tremendous tourist numbers which arrive in the State of J and K. The student community also suffered equally as it was admission season all over country and various exams are conducted during this time of year. The example to it was that an important exam of National Eligibility Test (NET) was conducted only in Jammu but was postponed in Kashmir region which impacted the academic career of Kashmir students. It is pertinent to mention here that it is also admission time in University of Jammu and hence sufferings were borne by students in Jammu region too. Overall there was strong resentment in students of J and K as even a simple form nowadays is to be filled and uploaded with help of internet. It has also come into notice that number of private schools in Jammu started getting admission enquiries from parents in Kashmir due to growing turbulent times. This shows that parents there are now assured that studies of their children always suffer. These regular Bandh habits of Kashmir shows that parents now want to shift their children to Jammu.
Though this short span of terrible days is over in J and K but yet we don’t know what lies ahead. Winds that blew across Kashmir this summer after death of a militant showed that radicalisation is somewhere raising its head once again. This strategy of implementing ban on Internet could never lessen the anger in Kashmir youth. The Kashmir issue needs political solution and not technological solution. Moreover, if this all keep on happening then maybe we see exit of internet services in J and K in near future. So will J and K ever become part of Digital India, a prestigious project of present Central Government? An end to this Kashmir turmoil was assumed to happen under the new alliance in the State of J and K. This alliance was alleged to be wedlock of North Pole with South Pole but now these Azaadi-slogans and gunshots are said to have again born out of this wedlock. Of all what happened and after facing stones for weeks yet we all desire that we shouldn’t be taken back into history, which we left 20 years back.