Students and traders rejoiced the resumption of access to the social media in Kashmir after a seven-month-long gap, as Internet service on fixed-line broadband connection was also restored on Thursday. Several political parties termed the government move “a positive step”.
“The restoration of broadband Internet connection and access to the social media platforms will allow me to connect with my customer base again. These seven months have not only dented our online platforms’ prospect but forced many youth to leave the Valley. Hope the brain drain will stop and the youth will again come up with innovative online platforms,” Haseeb Ashai, founder member of Lalchowk.in, Valley’s rare online books dealer, told The Hindu.
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All social media platforms, especially the popular Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, saw hyper activity with netizens uploading photographs and congratulating one another for being able to connect again online.
Internet and later social media platforms remained out of bounds for locals in Kashmir since the Centre decided to end J&K’s special status on August 5 last.
Women’s Collective resume activism
The Kashmir Women’s Collective, an initiative to document any abuse against women in Kashmir, also resumed online activism. “After seven months, we are glad to connect with you online. Our work on ground never stopped. We faced multiple challenges but we derive our courage from women who even in these hard times reached out to us, sharing with us the warmth and strength,” tweeted the official handle of the initiative.
The restoration also brought cheer on the faces of the students. “We were not able to access education-related websites and connect with friends to discuss subject-related queries,” said Tania Khan, a student of Class 10.
Hundreds of schools started activating online parent-administration interfaces on WhatsApp to re-establish the round-the-clock connect.
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said people in J&K had to undergo immense sufferings due to the communication blockade imposed by the government. “The unprecedented Internet gag has been witnessed nowhere in the democratic world. It is because of strong protests raised by social groups, Opposition parties, mass organisations, writers and intelligentsia at national level that the 2G services and social media has been restored now,” he said.
Former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari, welcoming the move to lift curbs on the social media, said, “People, especially the youth of J&K, were feeling discriminated in the absence of being connected with the outside world through the use of modern day technological facilities.”
The BSNL has announced that it will restore fixed-line Internet in the Valley.
