Communication Clampdown in Valley to be Lifted in 15 Days, Amit Shah

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Sept 3, 2019: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday assured a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir that the communication clampdown in the Valley will be lifted in 15 days. Shah, who met village heads, also announced Rs 2 lakh insurance for all panchs and sarpanchs.

Mobile services and internet, including BSNL’s Broadband and private leased-line internet, were snapped on August 5 after the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganised the state into two Union territories — J&K and Ladakh.

The move has led to a harrowing time for residents of the Valley, who were unable to contact their loved ones. Emotions and anxiety ran high as people stood in serpentine queues to speak to their kin.

The government, howere, has justified the move, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar saying the steps were needed to prevent communications between “terrorists and their masters”.

In an interview with Politico newspaper in Brussels, Jaishankar said: “It wasn’t possible to stop communications between militants without an impact on all of Kashmir. How do I cut off communication between the terrorists and their masters on the one hand, but keep the internet open for other people? I would be delighted to know.”

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik justified the Centre’s decision to suspend landline and mobile phone services and Internet in the Valley, saying the move was helping save lives.

“Jammu and Kashmir has not witnessed a single killing in 10 days. If no communication helps saves lives, what is the harm?” Malik said.

“In all the crises that happened in Kashmir in the past, at least 50 people used to die in the first week itself. Our attitude is such that there should be no loss of human lives. 10 din telephone nahi honge, nahi honge, lekin hum bahut jaldi sab wapas kar denge (let there be no mobile phones for 10 days, we will ensure normalcy very soon),” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.