Internet ban partially lifted in Manipur, DCW chief meets two women victims

Guwahati: After three months of violence in Manipur, the state government decided to partially lift the ban on the internet on Tuesday. In official order today, the state government said those who have a static IP connection can access the internet in a limited way.

It is significant that internet services were suspended in the state after enic clashes broke out between the valley-majority Meiteis and the hill-majority Kuki tribe on May 3. The state government was under pressure to restore the internet services as university students of the state had also started agitation demanding restoration of the services.

"State government has reviewed the issues of the ban on the internet since 03-05-2023 continuously without any break (except for the exempted cases) and considered the suffering of the Common as the internet ban had affected important offices/ institutions, cohort of people on work from home basis and other online based citizen-centric services etc." the official order said.

“The state government has made a considered decision to lift the suspension in case of Broadband service (ILL and FTTH) conditionally in a liberalised manner,” the order said.

Meanwhile, police on Tuesday said that the seventh accused was arrested in connection with the horrific video that surfaced online showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in Manipur. The accused was arrested from Thoubal district on Monday. The video of the two women has drawn widespread condemnation from all quarters.

Earlier during the day Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday visited Churachandpur and met with the families of the two women who were paraded naked in Manipur on May 4, a video of which went viral last week.

“Met the family of the daughters who were victims of brutality in Manipur… their tears would not let me sleep for a long time,” Ms Maliwal tweeted as she shared a video of their interaction. “Till now no one has come to meet them,” she added.