Radical Move To Curb CAA Protests : Government Imposes Internet Ban At Large Sections of The Country

With Kashmir on its 137th day of bearing a total Internet shutdown since August 5, it seems the authoritarian government’s strategy of information manipulation has reached closer home. As a means of quelling the protests raging the country over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the government has once again resorted to banning internet services in North-eastern states like Assam and Meghalaya, in certain districts of West Bengal, as well as in the northern city of Aligarh.

Today, Airtel and Vodafone Idea have both confirmed via Twitter that the government has ordered an Internet shutdown in parts of Delhi NCR. Section 144 has been imposed at Mandi House, Jamia, Bawana, Pragati Maidan, Red Fort, ITO, Seelampur/Jaffrabad, Shaheed Park and Walled City.This has been done to stymie the protestors’ attempts to mobilize themselves or post on social media regarding what is happening. A deliberate strategy to keep citizens in the blue, this course of action is a tried and tested means of suppression employed by fascist regimes like those in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Egypt, Congo, Syria, Sudan, Burundi, Iraq, and Venezuela. The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), the global tracker for Internet shutdowns, was flooded with messages of shutdowns across the country — a recurring phenomenon in India over the past several years. However the government has continuously dodged questions on such frequent Internet shutdowns by resorting to its stock reply, stating that the Department of Telecommunications does not maintain data on shutdowns ordered by states.

Shutdowns can be enforced mostly by the Home Departments of the states, which draw powers from The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017. The decisions are then reviewed by a state government review committee. The central government also has powers under this law. Other relevant laws are Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

Section 144 CrPC is put into effect when there are apprehensions of breach of public peace and order by some people. Under this section, all civilians are barred from carrying weapons including lathis, sharp-edged weapons or firearms in public places except for police or paramilitary or security forces. The notification is issued by the District Magistrate of the area. The section also empowers the authorities to block internet access.

It is ironic that the world’s fastest growing Internet market is also the global leader in cutting off access to a sizeable portion of its clientele (citizens) in times of state-imposed unrest.

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