The state government in Manipur has been tasked by the high court with figuring out how to offer residents mobile internet access.
The court was considering a number of petitions from parties requesting the reinstatement of mobile internet services that had been suspended following the outbreak of violence in the state on May 3.
“…state authorities, especially the home department should consider forging mechanisms/methods for providing internet services through mobile phones by whitelisting the mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner,” a bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A Guneshwar Sharma ruled on Friday.
Report to be submitted
Also included was the following sentence: “Accordingly, the state authorities are directed to consider this aspect and to submit a report on the next date.”
The state’s attorney claimed during the hearing that the Manipur government had previously issued required directives abolishing the ban on offering broadband internet services (ILL & FTTH) in a liberalized way.
According to the attorney, “many citizens have already used such internet services and as of now, certain safeguards/terms and conditions have been fulfilled.”
The petitioners’ attorney said that because there hasn’t been any data leakage through the whitelisted mobile phones, the high court can issue the proper judgments for the state to gradually whitelist all mobile devices.
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Whitelisting specific cell phones
The attorney claimed that by adding specific cell phones to a whitelist, officials have physically tested the idea of lifting the restriction on mobile internet use. A bench of justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma on Friday directed that the state authorities particularly the home department should consider the methods for providing internet services through mobile phones by whitelisting mobile numbers on a case-by-case and phase-wise manner
The attorney said, “According to the report provided by service providers, there is no data leakage to any other numbers which are not whitelisted.”
Since May 3 after unrest erupted in the state, Manipur has been under an indefinite mobile internet ban.
On August 31, the court will take up the issue once more.
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During the hearing, counsel for the state authorities M Rarry submitted that the Manipur government earlier issued necessary orders lifting the ban on providing internet through broadband services in a liberalised manner. The counsel further said that the order “was subject to fulfilment of certain safeguards/terms and conditions and as of now, many citizens have availed such internet services.”
The petitioners’ attorney said that the high court may issue the necessary instructions for the state to gradually whitelist all mobile phones because there hasn’t been any data leakage through the whitelisted mobile phones.
Since the ethnic clashes in conflict-torn Manipur began on May 3 as a result of tribal members of the Kuki community participating in a “Solidarity March” to oppose attempts to include the majority Meitei community in the ST category, over 160 people have died and numerous others have been injured.
