STD/ ISD/ INTERNET BAN IN JAMMU AND
KASHMIR IN FOURTH MONTH
By
Kousar Bukhari
There
are still no signs of withdrawal of the ban on STD/ ISD and Internet facilities
in Jammu and Kashmir state which was ordered on January 1 this year. The
government is reported to have decided to not to discuss the issue at least for
a couple of months.
The
ban on the facilities which were being used in the state in every nook and
corner came after an eyeball to eyeball confrontation between the armies of
India and Pakistan on the borders. It was a clear signal that the two
neighbours may go for a full fledged war and the snapping of communication
lines was seen as part of preparedness for the same. Though the tension along
the borders both International Border and Line of Control (LoC) has since eased
the people in the state continue to pay the price for no fault of theirs. It
was part of the government’s harsh measures to force Pakistan on the issue of
terrorism after the attack on Parliament on December 13.
The
withdrawal of such facilities have badly affected the economy of the state
besides causing enormous problems to people in general and the media related
professional in particular. On this front all has come to a standstill. Cyber
café’s have downed their shutters, the Public Call Office (PCO) owners have
been suffering a lot in some cases leading to starvation. "We are in a
quandary" said Mushtaq Ahmed a PCO owner adding that no clear-cut decision is
being taken in this regard. If they have to put the ban forever we could think
about some other trade, he said.
The
withdrawal of facility has adversely hit the tourism particularly in Jammu
region. Chairman Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ram Sahai also confirms
that absence of STD facilities has contributed a lot in decreasing number of
the pilgrims to Vaishnodevi. Even as the STD facility is available to
individual telephones, the business community has been facing lot of problems
on account of the ban.
For
media community also the ban on STD/ISD and Internet has come as a great source
of inconvenience. In the modern day journalism, the use of internet has become
an inseparable part of a journalist’s work. This facility not only helps in
quick transmission of the news to their respective organizations but also
provides an opportunity to monitor the happenings worldwide. "This is a big
shock government gave to us on the eve of new year" said Zahoor Ahmed a senior
journalist. I do not understand what kind of integration the government of
India is talking, was the question by A A Fayaz another senior journalist. The
media community believes that government is lacking a decision on Kashmir in
every respect, otherwise they would not add to the sufferings of Kashmiris by
snapping the communication link to them.
Now
Internet access at home is only available to a few people who have Delhi
accounts and they access via Delhi on STD rates. In some cases one or two cafes
also access via Delhi and charge exorbitant rates.
Even as the Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and also Union Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah had promised to protest against the decision and ask the government of India to review the ban, nothing has come as yet. Sources in the government say that at a certain level thinking had started changing but Intelligence agencies have again put hurdles saying that ban will help in containing militancy. But those affected argue that when militants used mobile phones while attacking parliament, such facility was not withdrawn from Delhi.