GAG CAPITAL

As the internet shutdown continues into 2020, making it the longest internet gag in the history of democracy.

- Umar Mukhtar

By the year-end when the internet gag would cross 150 days, it will be the longest ever shutdown in a democracy. There will not be ‘Happy New Year’ messages jamming the cell phones while 2020 gets in.

Fearing a backlash, authorities on August 5, enforced blanket ban on communication. It is still in place on pre-paid mobiles, SMS and the internet. The first fixed-line phone came to life on August 17.

As the crises deepened, authorities had set up a handful of landline telephone booths for around seven million people living in Kashmir. “My son is studying in Delhi, I could not contact him for weeks together,” said Fayaz Ahmad, Srinagar resident. “To simply ask for his wellbeing, I had to travel almost 4kms and wait for almost five hours on a designated booth for my turn.”

Sirajuddin, 68, another parent, however, was not fortunate like Fayaz. He could not connect to his son for three months even after landlines were restored. His son works in the Middle East. The ISD calls remained barred for many weeks after the fixed-line set up was restored. “We used to talk to each other via WhatsApp but we no more have access to it,” he regretted.

After 72 days, Rohit Kansal, the spokesman of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, on October 14, announced the restoration of the post-paid cell phones. Even the SMS worked for a day it got barred again without assigning a reason.

Kashmir has almost 40 lakh, post-paid phone users. Almost 26 lakh using pre-paid SIM cards are still waiting for their phones to ring up. Iltija Mufti, who uses her mother Mehbooba Mufti’s Twitter handle termed the restoration of phone network as “halfhearted step” to stave off “international pressure”.