Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 13: The clamour for restoration of 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir is growing as the States and the Union Territories across the country have started online classes for the students.
Last week Supreme Court issued a notice to J&K Government to provide the status report about the 4G internet services in J&K within one week. After the intervention of the Apex Court people are hoping that restrictions on high speed internet may go. “In Kashmir also many private schools have started online classes. But the students are unable to access these due to internet speed being slow,” said a teacher of a private school.
He said that online classes are the only way through which schools can reach the students amidst the ongoing lockdown. “It’s unfortunate that schools in Kashmir have been closed for the past eight months,” the teacher added.
It’s in place to mention here that schools and other educational institutions were closed in Kashmir on August 5, 2019, when Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K’s special status and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories. The 4G internet services were snapped on the same day and since then these have remained suspended. Schools reopened for a few days in last week of February this year but were closed again in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kashmir.
An official said, “Though officially no announcement has been made about increasing the internet speed but the speed has been increased for students to access the online classes.”
He said, “The restoration of 4G internet is under consideration but it cannot be restored till security agencies give a go ahead. The administration is awake to the problems faced by the people but no one wants to take any chance at this point of time.”
An analyst said, “The government should reconsider its decision on keeping the high speed internet blocked. At this point of time everyone is confined within four walls of his home. There are very bleak possibilities about elements inimical to peace using the internet to spark any protest or asking people to assemble at one place.”
He said, “Not everyone in Kashmir has got fixed line connections. Mostly people use mobile phones to access the internet. Not only school students, the aspirants preparing for civil services examinations too are facing many problems as they had enrolled themselves for the online courses, which they are unable to access.”
Clamour to restore 4G internet in JK grows as online classes commence in other States, UTs
