Internet in focus
Even after 10 months since the abrogation of article 370, restoration of internet services is still a demand of at large in Jammu and Kashmir. Medical fraternity after the spread of pandemic was expecting restoration of 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir, but nothing happened.
Many senior BJP leader have indicated from New Delhi that communication would be restored but even after Eid nothing is visible in Kashmir for such restoration.
Recently International human rights advocacy group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has called upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to impress upon the Indian authorities, besides those in three other South Asian nations, “the need to put an end to the ongoing internet disruption” in Jammu and Kashmir.
The letter addressed to WHO’s Deputy Director-General, stated that the disruption of the internet “[compounds] the risk for minority groups, as they are denied access to the health information on COVID-19 provided by the WHO and other experts that could save their lives.”
Stating that residents in J-K were unable to access information about COVID-19 pandemic due to the restriction on high-speed internet, the letter has specifically noted that doctors and other health workers who are fighting to prevent the spread of the virus are struggling to download intensive care management guidelines published on various digital platforms.
