Imphal | Banking, government and non-government services have been severely affected in Manipur due to the suspension of mobile internet services for the last 18 days. Violent clashes had broken out in more than 10 districts in the state during and after the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to protest the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category. After this, the Manipur government suspended mobile internet on 3 May.
Internet shutdown in the state has also affected banking and ATM facilities amid a shortage of essential commodities, transport fuel and life-saving medicines, making life even more miserable for the people. Opposition Congress, media and several other organizations have been demanding immediate restoration of internet service in Manipur.
Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said in a tweet on Saturday, “Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, please lift the internet ban in Manipur. Today is the 20th May. The Internet has been banned since May 3. I can neither read your tweets nor Amit Shah’s tweets in today’s Digital India. When will PMO ensure internet for all in Manipur?
Former Union Minister and Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh had earlier said in a tweet that banking, e-commerce, e-bill payment, e-ticketing, business, work from home, education and many other essential services have come to a standstill in Manipur. .
The Rajya Sabha member had said that not a single word was issued by the Prime Minister appealing for calm. There was not a single visit to the state by the Union Home Minister or any other cabinet minister.
Meanwhile, an AICC team led by former Union minister Mukul Wasnik visited Manipur in the last three days and studied the prevailing situation in the ethnic violence-hit state. Before leaving for Delhi, Wasnik said on Saturday that there was no visible effort from the government to restore normalcy in Manipur.
Seeking immediate efforts from the central and state governments to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur, the Congress leader criticized the silence of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in this critical situation.
Wasnik said not a single Union minister has visited the state since the violence on May 3. We have accepted the involvement of Kuki militants in the violence. Further said that the AICC team would submit a report on the situation in Manipur to the central leaders of the Congress.
Former Union Minister and Congress in-charge of Bihar, Mizoram and Manipur Bhakta Charan Das, Manipur Congress President K.K. Meghchandra Singh and three-time former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh accompanied the AICC team, which visited several trouble-torn districts.
