Open letter to chief Justice of India on internet blockade in Kashmir by Rameez Makhdoomi & Akriti Bhatia.

Chief Justice of India

Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde,

Respected sir,

With deep regards and reverence, we would like to state that
internet is the oxygen of life in today’s world. Most aspects of life cannot
even be imagined without the internet.

After the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and
Kashmir, it’s bifurcation and conversion into the Union territory, the internet
as precautionary measure was snapped on August 5th, 2019 in
the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. However broadband services
after sometime were restored in the Jammu division.

The internet service (both broadband and mobile internet)
even after almost five months continue to remain non-functional in the Kashmir
valley.

A media center located at Lalchowk Srinagar caters to the
needs of hundreds of journalists’ internet needs, but does not suffice them.
Many media professionals have to travel long distance to reach this media
center in this harsh winter of Kashmir.

Besides, Deputy Commissioner 
offices at the District level look after some very basic internet needs
of handful of students and professionals etc. but all these are extremely
inadequate to meet the internet needs of professionals working in Kashmir.

Internet services even to press and media offices continue
to remain barred and Kashmir press Club, a premier organization  of Journalists in Kashmir has time and again
reaffirmed hardships faced by journalists due to absence of internet.

With a population of more than six million, few centres with
limited Infrastructure cannot be a subistitute to fully functional internet
services.

Many ventures, businesses and jobs have been adversely hit
by this internet gag and according to rough estimates, thousands of jobs from
IT, Media to other key sectors have been affected by this internet shutdown.

This internet gag has also caused tremendous loss to the
economy as evident from various media reports, released data and trade bodies
assertions.

Students of Kashmir have often expressed extreme
inconvenience to that their preparations for different competitive exams has
been completely disrupted due to the absence of internet.

People have also faced enormous trouble in booking tickets
etc. and have often had to rely on regressive options of looking for sparse
travel agents who would tend to financially exploit such a situation. Even
homemakers have expressed great discomfort and claim that they are being forced
ignorance in the absence of internet services.

The five  month long
internet gag faced in the valley of Kashmir is probably one of the longest
internet bans in the world history, that too in a country and regime with
“Digital India” as its flagship scheme.

One could have understood the ban imposed during the first
few weeks after the major decisions were taken but prolonging it does not make
sense as government has put on record several times that situation is “normal”
in Kashmir.

Often during this time I as a journalist had to share my
email password with friends based in Delhi and dictate to them the content of
the email and request them to send it to a given adress indicating the hardship
faced by we the citizens.

Even Doctors who consulted their patients especially those
facing heart, kidney and other serious ailments have found it extremely
challenging to communicate, and have expressed their anguish as they have
failed to do the same during all these months due to internet blockade.

We are in times when free and accessible internet facility
for all is being included as a fundamental right in various countries’ legal
provisions while we in India are breaking records of contributing largest
internet shut downs.

Being cognisant of the technical, economic and human costs
paid by the public, we are hopeful that through this letter, internet ban would
be lifted soon and as a first step, atleast broadband services be made
operational throughout the Kashmir valley.

A humane outlook is the need of the hour so as to see an end
to this gruelling internet ban.

Yours sincerely

Rameez Makhdoomi & Akriti Bhatia

( Rameez Makhdoomi is journalist based in Kashmir and Akriti Bhatia, a Research Scholar  and policy analyst based in Delhi)

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