MANIPUR: For more than 100 days, the northeastern Indian state of Manipur has been grappling with an ethnic conflict between the Meitei majority and the Kuki minority tribes. However, until recently, the world remained largely unaware of the turmoil and tragedy unfolding due to Narendra Modi led government internet shutdown that created a distressing information vacuum.
Commencing on May 3, internet services in Manipur were abruptly suspended, effectively severing the region from the global digital landscape. As of July 4, the conflict had led to over 140 fatalities, with 17 individuals reported missing. The violence has forced more than 60,000 people to flee their homes. Although broadband services were partially restored on July 25, large sections of Manipur continue to endure a connectivity void.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an Indian advocacy group, expressed deep concern regarding the situation. In a statement released on August 11, the IFF conveyed its distress at the deprivation of basic human rights faced by the citizens of Manipur due to the prolonged internet shutdown. The group also highlighted that the suspension lacked a specified end date, rendering it effectively indefinite and, as such, potentially in violation of Indian regulations that dictate temporal and geographical limitations on internet shutdowns.
Criticism of Illegal Internet Suspension in Manipur
According to IFF, “no internet suspension order shall be in operation for more than fifteen days.” The absence of an end date in the July 25 order to restore broadband services raises legal questions about the ongoing internet shutdown.
Global attention was finally drawn to the plight of Manipur when a distressing video went viral in July. The video depicted two women being paraded naked while a mob of men surrounded and harassed them. This deeply disturbing incident galvanized public outrage and prompted international concern. Mishi Choudhary, an Indian technology lawyer based in the US, emphasized that had such videos not been suppressed for nearly 80 days since May, the world could have reacted earlier to the ongoing crisis.
Veteran Indian journalist Barkha Dutt noted in a column for Rest of World that the viral video became the tipping point for Manipur, catalyzing global awareness about the turmoil that had largely gone unnoticed by mainstream news outlets in India. Dutt, who has been reporting from Manipur through her YouTube channel Mojo Story, will be contributing a monthly column for Rest of World, further amplifying the narrative and struggle of Manipur amidst the ongoing ethnic conflict.
