How internet shutdowns doubled violence against women in Manipur

News Network
July 27, 2023

amanipur.jpg

When videos of two women being paraded naked and assaulted in Manipur went viral last week on social media, the remote northeastern state had been cut off from internet access for nearly three months.

The attack took place on May 4, but the videos of the women being dragged and groped by armed men before what onlookers say was a gang rape, surfaced last week. Authorities said they are investigating the incident and have arrested several men.

Officials imposed a statewide internet shutdown on May 3, saying it was needed to curb rumours and disinformation, and quell violent ethnic clashes that have killed at least 125 people and displaced tens of thousands.

But the internet ban in the state - among the longest in India to date - has made it difficult to alert authorities and journalists to rights violations, many of them directed at women, activists say.

"If there was no internet shutdown, those videos would have surfaced over two months ago and the horror could have been addressed speedily, and other similar offences could have been curbed," said Patricia Mukhim, an activist and editor of the Shillong Times daily in Meghalaya.

"The internet shutdown is a violation of human rights - it curtails people's freedom, and it shuts out news of violent incidents and allows perpetrators to carry on undeterred," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The shutdowns also have an "adverse impact on women's ability to feel safe and restrict their freedom of movement," said Jayshree Bajoria, an associate director at Human Rights Watch in Asia.

"It took a horrific video of violence against women in Manipur to emerge on social media for the authorities to take action. This shows how necessary the internet is for the flow of information, and reporting and documenting abuses," she said.

After the Manipur high court directed the state government to restore the internet in a "limited fashion", authorities on Tuesday said they had "conditionally" lifted the ban on broadband services.

Social media websites, WiFi hotspots, virtual private networks (VPNs) and mobile internet - used by a majority of people - still remain blocked in Manipur.

Adverse impact

India had the most number of shutdowns in the world for the fifth successive year in 2022, according to Access Now, a digital rights group.

The shutdowns - including during protests, elections and examinations - were often imposed for indefinite periods and without the publication of shutdown orders, in violation of a 2020 judgment by the nation's top court.

"Authorities have cited violence as part of the rationale for shutting down the internet. However, there is no evidence to show internet shutdowns reduce violence - quite the opposite," Access Now said in a report in May.

The clashes in Manipur, which borders Myanmar, began when members of the Kuki and Naga tribal groups launched a protest on May 3 against the possible sharing of their benefits with the ethnic majority Meiteis in the state.

The federal government rushed thousands of paramilitary and army troops to the state of 3.2 million people, but the state has remained tense since, with killings and other incidents of sporadic violence.

The restive northeast region is among the least developed in the country, with patchy internet access and among the most shutdowns in India, according to data compiled by the Software Freedom Law Center, a digital rights group.

As more services are digitised under the Digital India programme, internet shutdowns disproportionately hurt rural communities and other vulnerable groups such as those who depend on social welfare benefits, a recent report by Human Rights Watch and the Internet Freedom Foundation showed.

Toll on women

In addition to shutdowns, authorities also frequently block websites and issue takedown orders to social media platforms. The government issued nearly 7,000 takedown orders of social media posts and accounts last year compared to 6,000 in 2021, according to Access Now.

Most shutdowns involve blocking the internet on mobile phones, which is how most of the population, particularly in rural areas, access the internet.

This severely impacts access to education and livelihoods, particularly for rural women, the report by Human Rights Watch and IFF showed.

In the western state of Rajasthan, which has had the most internet shutdowns after Kashmir, the majority of workers in the government's rural employment guarantee programme are women.

As attendance checks and wage payments for workers have been digitised, frequent internet shutdowns in the state mean that many women don't get to work, or that they don't get paid, said Bajoria.

"Most of the women come from socially and economically marginalised households ... shutdowns that cut off internet access make their situation worse," she said.

In Manipur, the shutdown means that women cannot communicate as easily with their families via WhatsApp, check the news, make and receive payments on the phone, or even recharge their mobile SIMs, said Ninglun Hangal, who works with development non-profits.

Unable to work from home because of the internet ban, Hangal travelled 13 hours to relocate to neighbouring Assam state. But for women forced to stay back, conditions are tough, she said.

"There are more rumours and misinformation circulating, and there's no way to check or clarify what is true" she said.

"Women feel isolated and scared for their safety, and it's taking a terrible toll. More cases of assault and abuse are bound to come to light when the internet is restored."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
October 29,2024

Nagpur: Police in Maharashtra's Nagpur have identified 35-year-old Jagdish Uikey from Gondia as the man behind a series of hoax bomb threats that caused widespread panic, flight delays, and increased security at various establishments across the state, officials revealed.

Uikey, an author who wrote a book on terrorism and was previously arrested in 2021, is now on the run after police traced the recent hoax emails to him, confirmed a senior police official. The investigation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shweta Khedkar, uncovered substantial evidence linking Uikey to the threatening emails.

These emails were sent to multiple government agencies, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Railway Minister, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, airline offices, the Director General of Police (DGP), and the Railway Protection Force (RPF). On October 21, Uikey even emailed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, leading to heightened security at railway stations.

On Monday, the Nagpur police intensified security around Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis's residence after Uikey’s email threatened a protest unless he could present his findings on a secret terror code he claimed to have deciphered. He also requested a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss his information on terror threats.

In the 13 days leading up to October 26, Indian carriers received over 300 hoax bomb threats, with about 50 flights— including those of IndiGo and Air India— targeted on October 22 alone, sources said.

A special team has been deployed to locate and arrest Uikey, and authorities remain confident that he will be apprehended soon.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
October 26,2024

iransystem.jpg

Iran’s air defense force has confirmed Israeli attacks targeting positions in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces, saying the aggression was successfully thwarted. 

The Zionist regime launched its strike against Iran early Saturday, weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage on Israel, with the Zionist military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

The Iran's integrated air defense system successfully intercepted and countered the act of aggression. 

“Despite the previous warnings of the officials of the Islamic Republic to the criminal and illegal Zionist regime to avoid any adventurous action, this fake regime attacked parts of military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam this morning in a tension-causing action,” the air defense force said in a statement on Saturday morning.

The attacks caused limited damage in some locations and the dimensions of the incident are under investigation, the statement added.

Earlier, security sources said the loud sounds heard by some people in the vicinity of Tehran were due to the activation of air defense systems.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency cited a security source as saying on Saturday morning some of the sounds heard in the capital were caused by “defense activity in Tehran.”

The news agency said there were no reports of incidents that required assistance and that the situation at Mehrabad International Airport and the Imam Khomeini International Airport was “normal.”

IRNA said Iranian air defenses “successfully shot down adversarial targets in the airspace around Tehran province.”

Footage shared online captured what appeared to be interceptions over the Iranian capital.

Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday morning that the situation was normal at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport.

No missile strike or impact occurred on Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) military centers in the west and southwest of Tehran, the agency reported.

According to information obtained by the news agency, there has been no impact on IRGC military centers in the west or southwest of Tehran.

The sounds heard are related to the army’s air defenses engaging Israeli military actions in three areas around Tehran.

Informed sources told Tasnim that Iran is ready to respond to Israeli aggression, "as previously stated."

"Iran reserves its right to respond to any form of aggression, and there is no doubt that Israel will receive a proportional reaction to any action taken."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.