Setback for agitators as internet service disrupted

THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE WHEN

THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN SUCH A RECOURSE TO THWART AN AGITATION IN BENGAL

Internet services in and around Darjeeling hills were disrupted since midnight on Saturday following instructions from the state government to mobile internet service providers. This posed a major handicap not only to the common people but also the agitators who were coordinating between themselves through the Internet.

This is the first instance of the administration taking such a recourse to thwart an agitation in Bengal.The move followed late on Saturday after the security forces were often caught on the wrong foot in Darjeeling during the day by determined GJM protesters who seemed to have achieved a substantial degree of coordination using the Internet and social media.

None in the government would comment officially. While chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee and home secretary Malay Dey did not respond to HT’s phone calls and text messages, director general of police Surajit Kar Purakayastha said, “I cannot comment. Please contact the home secretary.”

Sources in two mobiles service providers, however, told HT they were only acting on the state government’s requests.

Incidentally, internet services are often suspended in Jammu and Kashmir to counter separatists and the blackouts often run into weeks. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged for the first time that GJM chief Bimal Gurung had links with insurgent groups in the North East as well as foreign elements.

On Sunday, the disruption of services posed a severe handicap to the agitators who took to Whatsapp and Facebook since trouble began on Thursday morning after police raided the office of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha at Patlaybas. Since Thursday, Morcha supporters who went into hiding were using the Internet not only to coordinate with their followers, but also to exchange information with the media.

On Saturday, when the government claimed there were no deaths in Darjeeling, Morcha supporters sent pictures of a body of one of their supporters through Whatsapp to mediapersons. It was played in TV channels, causing embarrassment to the administration.