Importance of Internet for the Economic growth, strengthening normalcy and democratic right- Status in India, And why it matters ?

Indian government recently lifted its ban on the internet (4G) services in the Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been more than 18 months since this was implemented in the UT. With that statistics and duration, this becomes THE world record of longest Internet ban in any democratic country recorded so far. In this article we will evaluate the following:

- What were the reasons utilized by government to implement these restrictions

- Has it really achieved its intended expectations

- What it has not achieved but rather damaged

- State of Internet ban in India compared to other global democracies

The reasons offered to the public while implementation of this ban was to avoid security challenges that was in the rise in the state at that time. However, it becomes clear at the hindsight that the main reason was to implement it as part of the game plan to abrogate article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, that was a full fledged state at that time. The internet ban was implemented using the executive orders that was implemented at the behest of India's central government under the provision of article 15A of Indian constitution. 

The ban does seems to deliver on the intended outcome that the government would have wished for. For instance the recorded incidents of Stone pelting has reducing to minimal, if not zero since the ban has been implemented. It is further advanced with the significant reduction of terrorist activities that the UT has seen since the implementation of ban.  However, it has to be noted that the ban in itself was also effective due to the complimentary measures that were implemented by the government such as arrest of major political leaders of the state. 

Now to list the damages that the ban has achieved for India and J&K to be specific are as below:

- It has significantly dented the economic prospects of the state by hindering the normalcy and affecting the business which were dependent on the Internet and Technology as a medium

- Particularly during the corona pandemic when the whole world was working remotely and increasingly utilizing Internet as a means to restore normalcy for the daily chores such as business, education etc.; J&K was not given that opportunity. It seriously affected the student online education initiatives

- It has damaged the trust that the local people have in the government particularly when the implementation of the abrogation of article 370 was implemented with the promise of growth and prosperity. The common people of J&K had to wait more than a year since the implementation to have access to internet is something indigestible. 

India does rate high in the number of internet bans that are implemented by the government directives. It not only affects the day to day working of the people dependent on the medium but also seriously dents India prospects to appear as a democratic and business friendly nation to the world. To put the things into perspective India does appear in the top ten countries that are known to implement frequent ban. India rates just next to countries like Myanmar, Iraq, Chad, Ethiopia and Azerbaijan. I am not sure if that's the ranking we should be really proud of !! Do we need to change this ?