Ban on mobile Internet likely to continue in Ahmedabad

“The directive of the state home department for a statewide 48 hours blocking of the services would expire on Monday morning. While it might be lifted from other districts, owing to the ‘sensitivity’ prevailing in the city chances are that it could be extended in Ahmedabad beyond Monday. However, the decision would be taken in a review meeting to be held with the police department,” said Ahmedabad collector Rajkumar Beniwal.

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When asked whether the ban would be lifted on Monday, Ahmedabad police chief Shivanand Jha said, “Let the day (Monday) come, then would be able to say something.”

On the other hand, Vadodara Commissioner of Police E Radhakrishana said mobile data services as well as SMS services would continue to remain under suspension until fresh “review” of the situation on Monday.

He said: “There was a fresh notification to continue the suspension of the mobile Internet and 2G and 3G data until Monday, owing to the funeral of a youth killed during the recent violence. The blanket decision has been taken as there is a volatile situation in a particular area. We will review the situation on Monday and take further decision.”

The ban on mobile Internet has not gone down well with the industry experts and residents. Questioning validity of the ban, Rahul Tirpude, west region director of Delhi-based NGO Digital Empowerment Foundation that work for digital literacy, said, “The entire operations of our NGO that is based on information technology is at a standstill for the last one week.”

Advocate Shailesh Amin, dispatched a registered post to Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and Governer OP Kohli, seeking explanation on the rationale behind a statewide ban on Internet services lasting over four days.

In his letter, Amin has stated, “In January this year, the Government of Gujarat held a Vibrant Gujarat event with eight partner countries and seminars, involving 14 countries, that brought in proposed investment of Rs 25 lakh crore, according to government data. The thoughtless blanket ban on Internet services is detrimental to the development of the state as no partner country would compromise on the principle of communication. Gujarat has unwittingly clinched the record of being the first state in the world to ban Internet services for law and order problems.”

Amin said that Internet communication was the basis of essential services provided by the government and could not be arbitrarily suspended. “The judicial system has been affected due to the Internet ban as have the Public Distribution System and civic departments that coordinate with lower staff through social messaging groups, and also the aanganwadis in Vadodara, where the supervisors are expected to report back to the in-charge on mobile applications.”

Computer Education Association of Gujarat, an umbrella body of 250 training organisations covering more than 1 lakh IT students, has also approached the Chief Minister, requesting her not to impose such a ban in the future. Questioning this decision of the state government, the association president Hemang Rawal stated that despite non-existence of social media and Internet during the pre-independence, leaders were able to gather supporters in lakhs and succeeded in getting the country independent.