SRINAGAR: Mobile internet continued to remain suspended since July 9, while cellular services of all companies snapped for the tenth day today in Kashmir valley, where professionals, including media, doctors and students, are appealing to the government to restore these services.
The worst affected from this communication curb are lakhs of outside workers who are unable to contact their families since the mobile service was snapped in the Valley.
Similarly, the gag is giving sleepless nights to hundreds of Kashmiri students and businessmen living in different parts of the country, who have been unable to contact their families in the valley.
Meanwhile, situation continued to remain tense in the curfew-bound Valley, where Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is arriving today on a two-day visit to reach out to the people.
The Union Home Minister’s visit comes just a day after a youth was killed in fresh security force firing and another succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Srinagar yesterday triggering massive protests in the Valley.
All cellular services, except BSNL post paid, remained snapped since July 14 while mobile internet services had already been suspended in Kashmir valley since protests broke out on July 9, following the killing of top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Burhan Wani along with the two other militants, in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag in south Kashmir district of Anantnag on July 8.
Authorities said that mobile internet and mobile phone services were suspended for security reasons to prevent any misuse by rumour mongers. Immediately after the killing of Burhan, who used to post pictures of militants carrying arms and other message on social media, authorities directed all cellular service providers to snap their services on July 14 in Kashmir.
However, BSNL postpaid mobile phones are working as of now while there was only receiving facility on pre-paid mobile phones. Appealing to government to lift the ban on communication services in the valley, students and businessmen stationed outside alleged that due to continuous siege on mobile services they are facing hardship in getting in touch with their families living in different parts of Kashmir valley.
Meanwhile, Kashmiris outside the valley are seeking help from local media houses, which are flooded with messages from people residing in different parts of the country, to get in touch with their relatives. However, the reach of the messages on websites are limited as majority of the people in the valley don’t have access to them due to a curb on mobile internet.
Non-local workers living in Kashmir also alleged that they have been facing problems communicating with their families in different parts of the country.
“We have to wait in long queues to make phone calls to our families to let them know that we are safe,” said a group of painters from Bihar. While another painter said that he has been making calls to his family from a BNSL phone, which belongs to a local. “I have been lucky.
When the unrest erupted, I was working as a painter in a house. They are very nice people, I go to their house and call my family,” said Abrar, a painter from Bihar.
However, he said large number of outside workers, have already left for Punjab and Delhi since there was no work due to curfew and strike in Kashmir.
Similarly, local people are also outraged over the curb in cellular and mobile internet services.
“We have not been able to move out of our houses from the last 14 days as curfew has been imposed. We have acute shortage of essentials, but above all, we are facing hardships due to the curb on cellular services,” Ajaz Saleem, a resident of Rainawari, said.
Expressing helplessness and terming non-communication with relatives and friends as worrisome, he said, “We don’t know how our relatives and friends, who live in other parts of the valley, are right now.” Even though authorities claim that the ban is to stop scuttlebutt from spreading, curb on cellular phones and mobile network has further added to rumours. (AGENCIES)
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