{"id":27752,"date":"2019-12-20T01:58:25","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T01:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/news\/?p=27752"},"modified":"2019-12-20T01:58:25","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T01:58:25","slug":"93-internet-shutdowns-india-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/news\/93-internet-shutdowns-india-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"93 internet shutdowns in 2019; Modi stifles protests by disconnection"},"content":{"rendered":"

As protests against the controversial citizenship law rage across India, government authorities have resorted to the internet shutdown in cities where protesters march. One remembers that Modi’s winning stance in 2014 is nationwide internet connectivity.<\/strong>
\nThis move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s government has been condemned by many, describing the internet shutdown as a way by dictators to stifle dissent.
\nNotably, the country has recorded the highest number of internet blocks in the world so far this year.
\nAccording to reports<\/a>, India has severed connectivity 93 times this year alone and 134 times last year, more than any other country. Not coincidentally.<\/strong>
\nThe closest competitor is Pakistan, which has shutdowns their internet 12 times last year, while Syria and Turkey, only shut down the internet just once in 2018.
\nPreviously, government authorities in the north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura shut down the internet after protests against the new citizenship law broke out in that region.
\nMuch of West Bengal and parts of Uttar Pradesh, two of India\u2019s most populous states, are also under digital lockdown.
\nMost notably, the Kashmir region, which is still languishing offline since August where at least 60 million people have been cut off from the web.
\nMany Indians have criticized what they perceive to be a clampdown on free speech and a conservative leadership whose first reaction at any sign of unrest is to suspend the internet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justification for the internet shutdown<\/h2>\n

India government authorities have issued a statement claiming they are trying to stop the spread of misinformation, which can outpace their efforts to control it.<\/strong>
\nThe shutdowns have been described as part of the Modi administration to tightening their grip on the government. The Modi administration has recently jailed hundreds of Kashmiris without charges, intimidated<\/a> journalists, arrested intellectuals and suppressed adverse economic reports.<\/p>\n

\n

Lies and more lies- this is what the Congress and it\u2019s allies are spreading on CAB.<\/p>\n

The CAB affects no citizen of India. In line with our ethos of assimilation and compassion, it ensures a better life for persecuted minorities from other nations. pic.twitter.com\/ijMM92OBOL<\/a><\/p>\n

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n