Mobile Internet Services Restored In Assam After 10-Day Of Digital Blackout Over CAA Protests

After 10 days of digital blackout, Assam returned to cyberspace as authorities restored the mobile internet in the state on Friday. The development comes a day after the Gauhati High Court nudged the Sarbananda Sonowal government to lift the ban. According to a senior official of private telecom operator Airtel, the ban on mobile internet was lifted from 9 am on Friday. "As we did not received any fresh order to continue with the blackout, we have lifted the ban from 9 am," the official was quoted as saying by PTI. Broadband services have already resumed in Assam.

Addressing media in the capital city Guwahati, Chief Minister Sonowal said that, “in no way will the honour of Assam be affected. We will always have the support of the people and will move forward with peace in the state.” Mobile and broadband internet services were suspended on the evening of December 11, following incidents of violence during protests against the amended Citizenship Act.

Assam witnessed the most violent protests against the Citizenship Law. Around three thousand people have been detained. Five people have lost their lives in the clashes.

On December 13, incidents of police firing were reported from several places in Guwahati including Hatigaon, Lachitnagar, Bashishta, Downtown, Ganeshguri and Lalungaon. Frenzied mobs blocked roads with burning discarded tyres and menaced commuters by bludgeoning their vehicles with sticks and stones.

Earlier, in a series of tweets, in both Assamese and English, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he personally and the central government are "totally committed to constitutionally safeguard the political, linguistic, cultural and land rights of the Assamese people as per the spirit of Clause 6." Clause 6 of the Assam Accord guarantees safeguarding local rights, language and culture.

"I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB (sic)," Modi wrote on the microblogging site.

"No one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow," he said as the state plunged deeper into chaos and violence.