SHILLONG, Aug 18: People in Meghalaya have had to endure a total of 603 hours of internet shutdown since June 2018, data collected by an NGO from internet service providers show.
Members of New Dawn Meghalaya said the state has undergone six spells of internet shutdown, five of which were after the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government took charge in 2018.
The longest ban on mobile data services was for 312 hours in June 2018 after Shillong witnessed a long spell of violence over the Harijan Colony issue.
This was followed by 189 hours of no internet in December 2019 during another law-and-order breakdown.
The Ichamati incident led to 30 hours of internet ban in February 2020. The latest one since 6 pm on August 15 lasted 72 hours.
Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, quite active on social media, said the government sometimes has to suspend internet services to maintain law and order. “But this government lacks a plan on what to do next,” she said, insisting that the ban should not be prolonged.
A resident of Shillong had filed a PIL in the High Court of Meghalaya against the latest suspension of internet services in East Khasi Hills and three other districts. Students depending on online classes have been the worst affected due to the temporary ban.
