Prohibitory order imposed in Manipur: Internet services suspended for 5 days
Imphal: On Tuesday september 10, Prohibitory order imposed in Manipur and Internet services suspended for 5 days after clashes broke out between students, female protesters, and security forces as they attempted to march towards the Governor’s House in Manipur. To control the escalating situation, security forces had to resort to firing tear gas.
The protesters were demanding the removal of the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) and the Security Advisor. The students, who had been camping at the Khwairamband Women’s Market since Monday, attempted to march along BT Road towards the Raj Bhavan but were stopped by security personnel near the Congress office.
Internet services suspended for 5 days
In a notice issued on Tuesday, the Manipur government declared an internet shutdown aimed at curbing the spread of disinformation and false rumors across social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The ban is set to remain in effect until September 15.
The notice cites Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, as the legal basis for the action. The government expressed concern that the current situation could lead to severe disruptions in public order and peaceful coexistence. As a result, all internet and mobile data services, including leased lines, VSAT, broadband, and VPN services, are suspended across Manipur from 3:00 P.M. on September 10 until 3:00 P.M. on September 15.
The notice further emphasized the imminent risk to lives and property, warning of potential widespread unrest and disturbances to communal harmony. It stressed that inflammatory content and false rumors circulating via mobile services, SMS, and dongles could further escalate tensions.
Students from Manipur University also organized a protest rally and burned an effigy of Home Minister Amit Shah. In response to the unrest, a curfew was imposed in the East and West Imphal districts, and a prohibition order was implemented under Section 163(2) of BNSS in Thoubal. Furthermore, the state government decided to suspend internet services across Manipur for five days.
Prohibitory order imposed in Manipur: curfew was imposed in the East and West Imphal districts
According to a government order, there were concerns that anti-social elements could misuse social media platforms to incite unrest by spreading provocative messages, offensive language, and misleading images. Such actions, the order said, could have severe implications for the law-and-order situation in the state. To prevent the spread of such rumors and misinformation, authorities imposed restrictions on the use of social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram via electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. The government’s order, issued by the Home Department, called for the temporary suspension of internet services, including mobile data, broadband, and leased lines, for five days across the state. Prohibitory order imposed in Manipur
Following the protests, prohibitory orders were imposed in three districts. Indefinite curfews were enforced in East and West Imphal to prevent people from leaving their homes. In Thoubal, the police placed restrictions on gatherings of five or more people after a police officer was reportedly injured by gunfire from one of the protesters.
Hundreds of students from different schools and colleges spent the night at the Khwairamband Women’s Market, where they had set up camp. At least eight people have been killed, and more than a dozen injured, in recent violent incidents across the state.
Later, representatives from the protesting students met with Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the state’s Governor to present a set of six demands. Among these demands was the removal of the DGP and the Security Advisor, who the students claim have failed to manage the law-and-order situation effectively. They also requested that control of the Unified Command, currently headed by former CRPF DG Kuldeep Singh, be transferred to the state government.
As the situation remains tense, the state continues to enforce restrictions, aiming to restore order and ensure public safety. Essential services like healthcare, electricity, and media have been exempted from the curfew. Prohibitory order imposed in Manipur