The internet shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir completed 166 days, which shows no signs of restoration in near future and has been the longest lockdown in democracy. The 7 million people in the Kashmir Valley were abruptly returned to 1900 century, as per a report released by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), businesses in the valley have suffered losses worth Rs 18,000 crore since August 5. The internet lockdown has affected education, health service and even regular movement of the people, creating a severe humanitarian crisis. Business, particularly tourism, fruit trade has been affected severely. This has been the worst phase for business in the valley.
The internet ban has created a lot of hurdles for students to file the forms online. Government has installed few internet counters, many students could be seen standing in a queue to submit online applications for (NEET), (JEE), NSP Scholarship, etc . Since the SMS services are suspended on mobile phones in Kashmir, many aspirants had to dispatch their mobile phones outside Kashmir so that they could get an OTP when they apply online and some aspirants entered the phone numbers of their relatives or friends studying outside Kashmir and the applicants would call them at the time of application submission.
Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) declared the results of class 10th on 9 January, JKBOSE claimed that a printed gazette would be circulated containing the result but that never came out. volunteers and students studying outside Kashmir check results of Kashmiri students online and had helped scores of students of Kashmir valley that is facing an internet clampdown since 5 August 2019. Now the time has come to restore internet service before (BOSE) can declare 12th class results so that the students cannot face any problem in the future.
Hundreds of research scholars pursuing PhDs. Mphil in universities of Kashmir are unable to access research literature, download papers, and communicate with journals and researchers outside the state due to the unprecedented internet shutdown.
The right to access the internet is a fundamental right and the internet can be shut down only in exceptional circumstances. Time has come for the government to think about various measures and strategies in order to ensure full internet access throughout the state.
The writer is a student of Mphil, Jiwaji University Gwalior, MP, India. He can be reached at [email protected]