After almost 18 months, 4G internet services were restored across Kashmir and parts of Jammu. How did the lack of mobile and voice calls as well as data impact normal life in the two places?
In this interview to Sidharth Bhatia, Devdutta Mukhopadhyay, a lawyer and researcher from the Internet Freedom Foundation, tells heart-rending stories from Kashmir during those months. Devdutta has researched Kashmir and is now also monitoring the shutdown of the internet in Haryana and areas near the Delhi border, where farmers have been protesting for over two months.
She talks of the government tendency to be trigger happy when it comes to the internet and the loss – of money, livelihood and even lives – because of such shutdowns.
(This interview was conducted just days before the restoration in Kashmir, but the issues remain relevant.)
