Breaking | Manipur Govt to curtail data services in state for 5 days

Guwahati, February 11, 2019:

According to top official sources, an urgent order has come from the Manipur Home Department to curtail internet data services in the state for 5 days with immediate effect.

This move by the BJP-led administration in the state seems like a desperate attempt to stifle the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the state by making it harder for protesters to coordinate and assemble.

A highly volatile atmosphere has been prevailing in the state since the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8. The Manipur People against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 (MANPAC) organization has been staging sustained and intense protests with the support of several student bodies. Further, mothers and daughters of Manipur were camped on the streets of Ima Keithel market in Imphal where they even spent the night.

Yet, these democratic protests have been met with strict resistance by authorities, who resorted to tear gas and mock bombs to disperse the lady protesters at Ima Keithel. Moreover, numerous incidents of scuffles between the protesters and authorities have been reported across the state.