High-Speed Internet Ban Keeps Kashmir in Dark, Journalists Say
2020-05-08
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1High-speed internet service is helping people to guard against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
2Many people have come to depend on high-speed internet to work from home, take part in online classes and get the latest news.
3In Kashmir, however, Indian government officials are enforcing a ban on the technology.
4News reporters say the ban is preventing people from learning or sharing important information about the virus.
5Kashmiris were cut off from the internet for seven months after the government ended the state's right to self-rule last August.
6In March, internet service was reestablished.
7But Indian officials limited mobile phones to 2G service.
8India claims control of about 60 percent of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
9Pakistan and China control the rest.
10At a court hearing on Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir government said the 2G service was good enough.
11Government lawyers warned that high-speed internet could be misused to spread false news or help terrorists plot attacks.
12Bilal Hussain is a Kashmir-based reporter.
13He told VOA the ban on high-speed internet has caused problems for doctors and the local media.
14"We are forced to work on 2G...doctors in Kashmir are not even able to download material they need for COVID-19," Hussain said.
15Reporters can be arrested for going against the "state narrative," he added.
16Indian officials have brought charges against at least four reporters in Kashmir since the government announced measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.
17Gowhar Geelani is one of the four.
18The government's campaign "has grown very, very ugly," Geelani said.
19"The aim seems to be to control the narrative," he said.
20The lack of high-speed internet during the coronavirus pandemic is "aiding its spread and gambling with people's lives," Access Now says.
21The rights group has been following events in Kashmir since last August.
22As of Tuesday, India has reported 46,711 cases and 1,583 deaths from the virus.
23It said Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 726 cases and eight deaths.
24Samuel Woodhams is a London-based digital rights researcher.
25He said that 2G is "ineffective" in a world where many countries use 4G or 5G.
26"2G is so slow that even...Google may not load," he told VOA.
27Woodhams said that India's decision to slow internet connections is simply a way to avoid public and international scrutiny.
28"Governments can claim that it isn't an internet blackout," he said.
29Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the internet blackout that lasted until March was to prevent the spread of terrorism.
30Aliya Iftikhar with The Committee to Protect Journalists told VOA that it appears the Indian government is trying to use the pandemic "to distract from what they are doing in Kashmir."
31I'm Susan Shand.
1High-speed internet service is helping people to guard against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Many people have come to depend on high-speed internet to work from home, take part in online classes and get the latest news. 2In Kashmir, however, Indian government officials are enforcing a ban on the technology. News reporters say the ban is preventing people from learning or sharing important information about the virus. 3Kashmiris were cut off from the internet for seven months after the government ended the state's right to self-rule last August. In March, internet service was reestablished. But Indian officials limited mobile phones to 2G service. 4India claims control of about 60 percent of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan and China control the rest. 5At a court hearing on Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir government said the 2G service was good enough. Government lawyers warned that high-speed internet could be misused to spread false news or help terrorists plot attacks. 6Bilal Hussain is a Kashmir-based reporter. He told VOA the ban on high-speed internet has caused problems for doctors and the local media. 7"We are forced to work on 2G...doctors in Kashmir are not even able to download material they need for COVID-19," Hussain said. 8Reporters can be arrested for going against the "state narrative," he added. 9Indian officials have brought charges against at least four reporters in Kashmir since the government announced measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. 10Gowhar Geelani is one of the four. 11The government's campaign "has grown very, very ugly," Geelani said. 12"The aim seems to be to control the narrative," he said. 13Communication blackout 14The lack of high-speed internet during the coronavirus pandemic is "aiding its spread and gambling with people's lives," Access Now says. The rights group has been following events in Kashmir since last August. 15As of Tuesday, India has reported 46,711 cases and 1,583 deaths from the virus. It said Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 726 cases and eight deaths. 16Samuel Woodhams is a London-based digital rights researcher. He said that 2G is "ineffective" in a world where many countries use 4G or 5G. 17"2G is so slow that even...Google may not load," he told VOA. 18Woodhams said that India's decision to slow internet connections is simply a way to avoid public and international scrutiny. 19"Governments can claim that it isn't an internet blackout," he said. 20Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the internet blackout that lasted until March was to prevent the spread of terrorism. 21Aliya Iftikhar with The Committee to Protect Journalists told VOA that it appears the Indian government is trying to use the pandemic "to distract from what they are doing in Kashmir." 22I'm Susan Shand. 23VOA's Niala Mohammad reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 24_______________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 262G - adj. second generation technology 27narrative - n. a storyline 28ugly - adj. unattractive to look at 29pandemic - n. an illness that travels from one country to another 30gamble - v. to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions 31digital - adj. of or relating to information that is stored in the form of the numbers 0 and 1 32scrutiny - n. Looking closely at something 33blackout - n. to remove all lighting or technology 34distract - v. to stop thinking about or paying attention to someone or something and to think about or pay attention to someone or something else instead