Sadaf Khursheed
Srinagar, Dec 14 (KNB): Frequent Internet ban in Kashmir has become a norm due to one or the other reasons.
At a time when everything works on Internet is it simple filling of the examination forms or online marketing, Kashmir presents a different story with netizens often suffering.
“My business runs mainly on internet as I run an internet cafe where students and the job aspirants come on daily basis to fill the form and even Internet blockade for an hour is not good for my business, but here internet is blocked for days together,” said a business man who owns a cafe in main market Sopore.
With the coming of Internet to Kashmir, everything has slowly started shifting online be it online shopping, ordering food, e-tickets or studies.
“Preparing for civil service examinations demands from an aspirant to study about everything around globe and internet comes handy at this point but when every now and then internet is blocked for pity reasons lose the track of my studies”, said an aspirant preparing for civil services.
According to a report of Freedom house (United States based research and advocacy NGO) people in Kashmir are denied internet for 18-25 days on average basis.
Many young people who online business had had to shut down their business in the past because of the internet gag and incurred heavy loss.
Sane voices state Government justifies the internet ban in Kashmir to stop protests which erupt due to encounters or any other human rights violation however instead of stopping the violations, Government is restricting a freedom which has been provided by the constitution and upheld by Supreme Court.
“I am a journalist and work with online media and my work requires me to be updated every time and keep people updated too, but how will I do that work when internet here is stopped for days together”, said a journalist. (KNB)