Manipur govt extends internet ban till October 11

IMPHAL: The ban on mobile internet services in trouble-torn Manipur has been extended for another five days till October 11, officials said on Friday.

Extending the ban on mobile internet services till October 11, Commissioner (Home) T. Ranjit Singh said in his order: "There is apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation in the state of Manipur.”

Following a massive students’ agitations, the Manipur government had on September 26, two days after the ban was lifted after 143 days, had suspended mobile internet data services, internet/data services for five days before extending it again till October 6.

Manipur witnessed massive students’ agitations in the last week of September to protest the killings of a 17-year-old girl student Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit, who hailed from Bishnupur district and had gone missing on July 6 during the height of ethnic violence.

The photographs of the two murdered students were circulated on different social media platforms on September 25, triggering intense agitations in which at least 100 students, including girls, were injured after they clashed with the security forces, who prevented them from marching towards the Chief Minister’s bungalow.

Meanwhile, annoyed with suspension of mobile internet services in Manipur, a student body in Senapati district has imposed an indefinite economic blockade since Thursday evening, leaving several goods-laden vehicles stranded along the Manipur-Nagaland border.

The state government, following the students’ agitation, had also closed all government, government-aided and private schools, which reopened on Friday.