The Commissioner (Home) of Manipur ordered successive internet shutdowns in the entire State of Manipur for five days. The internet shutdown orders cited the reasons to “thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements… by stopping the spread of disinformation and false rumours” and the likelihood of “serious disturbances to the entire peaceful co-existance of the communities and maintenance of public order”. Applicable Indian law requires that these orders must be reviewed by a committee of high-level government officials, to ensure that they are proportionate, lawful and necessary. We have written to the Chairperson of the Review Committee, i.e., the Chief Secretary of Manipur, to review the order and consider on a day-to-day basis whether the internet suspension needs to continue.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://internetfreedom.in/the-duration-of-internet-shutdowns-in-manipur-crosses-10-days-iff-wrote-to-manipur-chief-secretary-urging-scrutiny-of-orders-keepiton/