160 students refuse isolation, create ruckus Top Kashmiri leaders seek restoration of 4G services
Srinagar, March 19: Over 160 students, who were returning from Bangladesh amid coronavirus fear, allegedly refused to undergo isolation and created a ruckus at the airport, before they were brought under control and sent to a quarantine facility on Thursday, police said.
“Today, a few students arrived from Bangladesh at Srinagar International Airport. As per the directions of the Budgam district magistrate, these students were to be quarantined as precautionary measure vis-a-vis spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus),” a police official said. He said the medical authorities at Srinagar International Airport requested these students to cooperate for the quarantine process to which they did not agree.
Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking restoration of 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir.
Similar calls have been made to the government by various other political parties and leaders and trade bodies including Syed Altaf Bukhari, president of newly floated Jammu Kashmir Apni Party, and Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor of Srinagar, asserting that restoration of high speed internet is vital for the people of the Union Territory (UT), especially students and doctors in the difficult situation they have been pushed in due to spread of
Novel (COVID-19).
Mr Farooq Abdullah, who is also a sitting member of Lok Sabha representing Srinagar constituency, in his letter while referring to the authorities’ imposing a lock down in Valley parts after the detection of first COVID-19 case claimed that the people are suffering enormously.
He said, “Businesses and students already hit hard by the shutdown after August 5, 2019 are again suffering because of these restrictions. The people of Kashmir are being advised to work and study from home but this is impossible with 2G internet speed and limited fixed line internet penetration.”
He added, “I would, therefore, request you to restore 4G Internet services
Coronavirus in J&K at the earliest to ease the suffering of the people.” Internet services were suspended in J&K as part of a complete communication blackout ahead of the Centre’s abrogating Article 370 and bifurcating the state into two UTs on August 5 last year.
A new order issued by the Home Department in Jammu on Tuesday extended the existing restrictions on internet speed till March 26 to “prevent misuse of social media applications” and “in the interest of security and integrity of India”.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) has also urged the government to restore full access to internet services in J&K in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic “to ensure that people have full access to health and safety related information”.