The longest-ever Internet ban lasting 82 hours, imposed during the festival period of Eid, was lifted in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The ban drew sharp criticism as the Valley witnessed dampened celebrations and disconnected families.
“My Eid was incomplete without watching grandchildren on Skype and spending time together online. I could not see them because of the ban, which drove divided families like ours to the Stone Age,” said Sheikh Hilal, whose son and grandchildren live in Dubai.
The security agencies apprehended “misuse of the Internet by anti-national elements” in the wake of the controversy sparked by court directives asking the police to strictly enforce the 1932 law banning bovine slaughter and the sale of beef. In the past, Internet ban would be imposed on Republic Day and Independence Day, to prevent trouble.
For the first time, the landline-based broadband too was snapped. Initially, the ban was for two days, but was extended for one more day on Sunday.
The move drew sharp criticism. “Any festival is not complete till people exchange wishes and happiness. Eid was dampened by the ban,” said Waseem Ahmad, a student.
Muhammad Yaseen Khan, president of the Kashmir Economic Alliance, the association of traders, termed the ban as “the PDP-BJP government’s agenda of destruction.”
Traders claimed that online businesses, mainly tourism and the banking sector, were disrupted. “The Chief Minister intends to remove the negative perception about the Valley, but, at the same time, takes the extreme step of sending people back to the Stone Age,” said the president of the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association, Showkat Chowdhary.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a jibe at the PDP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ban.
“Oh, the irony of listening to the Prime Minister talking about digital India while we in J&K spent three days totally disconnected due to his party and allies,” wrote Mr. Abdullah on Twitter.
