Manipur High Court orders state govt to provide limited internet service in designated areas

The Manipur High Court on Tuesday directed the state authorities to provide limited internet services to the public in designated places under their control in the state, reported Bar and Bench. 

The court passed this order in response to a batch of public interest litigation (PILs) seeking the restoration of internet services in Manipur, which were suspended earlier this year following violent clashes.

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According to Bar and Bench, a bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A Guneswar Sharma passed the order after considering the hardships faced by the public due to the absence of internet services. 

The court acknowledged the ongoing admission process for students in the state and the need for the public to carry out urgent and essential services. Consequently, the state authorities were directed to offer limited internet service at specific locations controlled by them, the Bar and Bench reported. 

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Additionally, the court instructed various internet service providers to submit an affidavit stating whether it would be feasible to provide limited internet services while blocking social media access and addressing the state’s concerns regarding law and order. 

The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on June 23.

The internet shutdown in Manipur has been in effect since May 3 following violent clashes triggered by a Manipur High Court order. The court had instructed the state government to consider including the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, which led to clashes between tribal and non-tribal communities.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court declined to urgently list a petition challenging the internet shutdown on June 9. The court observed that the Manipur High Court was already handling the matter and deemed it unnecessary to duplicate the proceedings.

In a related development, the Supreme Court today declined to urgently list an interlocutory application filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum concerning the violence in the state. 

The vacation bench observed that while there were significant issues of law and order involved, the case would be heard only after the court resumes full functioning after its summer break.