KL Desk
SRINAGAR
The assembly on Thursday started with two opposition leaders expressing serious concern over the slowing down of the Internet speed in Kashmir. Speaker M.A. Lone ruled that the government will require time to respond to the issue.
The issue was raked up by PDP president Ms Mehbooba Mufti well before the question hour would start. She said the social Networking sites like Facebook and YouTube have emerged as the main platforms of being in touch and communicating with each other and its ban has severely impacted the youth.
“It is an informal ban,” Ms Mufti said, “does the government want that the youth should come on the roads to seek this right?” she said companies are talking off the record saying they are under orders from the government to refuse the connectivity tote twin sites and the servers have been slowed down which is creating an impact. Mufti told Speaker that though both of us are not using the internet but most of the youth are connected to it and it s the only way fit them to remain connected.
Ms. Mufti said technology has both the side as there are instances of law and order problem in other states. “But that does not mean that we will rollback the facility,” she asserted. “It is a draconian step that is being implemented under the garb of a blasphemous film.” she said youth are being deliberately provoked to come on the roads by denying them certain basics which are otherwise available everywhere. Though she wanted the government to respond, Speaker M.A. Lone said the government should get enough of tine to respond to the issue. “If they are not responding, I will take up the issue,” he ruled.
Companies are saying it is an order from government. It is the only means of our youth to express their ways. Everything has its two sides but that does not mean we’ll stop the service.
Communist lawyer Yousuf Tarigami supported Ms. Mufti saying the government is withdrawing fundamental facility from its people. “Its fundamental security is at stake and the government must tale necessary steps in accessing this issue,” he said.
As already reported, the government has directed cell phone and Internet service providers to block all links to the anti Islam film. They have been authorized to block the domains like Facebook and YouTube altogether if necessary. While the twin sites have been stopped from the cell phones, certain companies have slowed down servers to prevent uploading and downloading of heavy data files that includes films. The slowing down of the internet service is gradually impacting on line business as well.
