What is the current situation in India and Kashmir where the government has blocked the Internet for 11 days?


by

Colin Tsoi

Kashmir , a mountainous area that stretches near the border between northern India and northeastern Pakistan, is an unstable region that is constantly in conflict with India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the government of India has implemented “Internet blockade” in Jammu and Kashmir, and the situation where the Internet cannot be used for 11 days since August 5, 2019 continues.

India Shut Down Kashmir's Internet Access. Now, 'We Cannot Do Anything.'-The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/technology/india-kashmir-internet.html

Jammu and Kashmir is the only Muslim-dominated region in India and is at the forefront of conflict between India and Pakistan. The Indian government has granted autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir for various religious and political reasons, but on August 5, 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the abolition of autonomy . Residents have also voiced backlash.

In addition, several hours before the abolition of autonomous rights was declared, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was cut off from mobile phone, Internet and landline communications. There is information that a large number of soldiers gathered in some areas of the state capital, Srinagar , and it is reported that local leaders are under arrest.

In recent years, communication networks such as the Internet have developed rapidly in India, but at the same time, the Indian government is known to block the Internet very frequently. In 2018, it seems that the Internet was blocked 134 times, exceeding 12 times in Pakistan, which was the second most blocked in the world, and became the `` government with the most internet blocking in the world '' It is.


by

bruce mars

Reasons for blocking the Internet include controlling political protests, preventing the spread of hoaxes, and preventing fraud in elections and student exams. It is very easy to block the Internet, and it is said that the system can stop providing the Internet immediately by the authorities just contacting the Internet provider etc.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where the Internet has been blocked for 11 days, there are various obstacles to life. Masroor Nazir, a pharmacist at Srinagar, has ordered medicines and told the New York Times that 'We have used the Internet for everything' and 'We can't do anything now.' He told me that in the current situation, there is a possibility that there is no medicine necessary for treatment, so he advises the local people not to get sick.

The store lacks medicines such as insulin and daily necessities such as baby food, and doctors are in trouble because they cannot communicate with patients. People can only make phone calls at fixed places in some places designated by the government, and it takes a lot of waiting time to talk for a few minutes.


by

David Sun

Residents lament that the smartphone, which was a tool for enjoying entertainment, has turned into a metal lump as a result of blocking the Internet. Also, Muheet Mehraj, a business that sells traditional crafts online, commented that he was out of contact with suppliers and customers and that his work was closed. Mr. Mehraj seems to have encountered Internet blockage many times so far, but this case is the worst case among them.

The Government of India claims that the Internet disseminates misinformation and distracts people, and justifies blocking it for 'peace and tranquility'. However, in fact, the damage to the Indian government due to the Internet blockage is more serious than the authorities think.

According to a survey by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) (PDF file) , the Internet blockade from 2012 to 2017 caused an economic loss of over $ 3 billion (about 320 billion yen). That's right. For example, the Internet blockade in Darjeeling in 2017 has stopped the production of tea, the main industry of the local economy, and even after the Internet recovers, traditional overseas customers do not return.


by XPeria2Day

Moreover, the spread of hoax has not been eliminated by blocking the Internet. A reporter of the New York Times learned that rumors such as `` a security force fired at Srinagar's demonstrators and slaughtered '' flowed through reviews, but when I investigated the facts, I was injured He said that there were no deaths.

Umar Qayoom, who sells digital payment services in Jammu and Kashmir, pointed out that new risks will arise when people are unable to work and enjoy entertainment due to the interruption of the Internet . Qayoom believes that young people who are free and dissatisfied with the government will find protests and throwing stones at the police seem attractive. “Blood will flow,” Qayoom said.

in Note,   Web Service, Posted by log1h_ik