Manipur High Court asks State to devise methods to restore internet services

The Manipur High Court on Friday directed the State government to consider devising methods to provide mobile internet services to people in the State.

A Bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma directed,

“…State authorities, specially, the Home Department should consider for devising mechanism/methods for providing internet services through mobile phones by whitelisting the mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner. Accordingly, the State authorities are directed to consider this aspect and to submit a report on the next date.”

The Court was hearing a batch of pleas filed by various parties seeking the restoration of mobile internet services which were blocked in the wake of violence in the State.

During the hearing, counsel for the State submitted that in terms of the earlier directions issued by the High Court, the State government has issued necessary orders lifting the ban on providing internet through broadband services (ILL & FTTH) in a liberalized manner. This, he said, was subject to fulfillment of certain safeguards/terms and conditions and as of now, many citizens have availed such internet services.

The authorities have conducted physical trials with regard to revoking the mobile internet ban by whitelisting certain mobile numbers. As per the report submitted by service providers, there is no data leakage to any other numbers which are not whitelisted, the counsel further added.

Counsel for the petitioners submitted that since there has been no data leakage through the whitelisted mobile phones, the High Court can pass appropriate orders directing the State to whitelist all mobile phones in a gradual manner.

An indefinite internet ban has been in force in Manipur since May 3 after violence broke out in the State.

The clashes began after the Manipur High Court had ordered the State government to consider inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list. Tribal and non-tribal communities subsequently faced off, leading to the loss of multiple lives.

The Supreme Court had last month declined to urgently list the petition filed by two advocates challenging the internet shutdown.

A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal said that the High Court was already hearing the matter and thus, there is no need to duplicate the proceedings.

Subsequently, the individuals who had moved the apex court decided to withdraw their plea and instead approached the High Court in the same matter.

The Court will hear the matter next on August 31.

The petitioners were represented by Advocates Gautam Sharma, M Rakesh, Tim Haobam, L Birjit and G Pushpa.

Advocates M Rarry, K Samarjit, N Jyotsana, T Momo and S Samarjeet represented the State and the internet service providers. Bar and Bench