India Loves Internet Shutdowns: States Impose Over 500 Connectivity Blackouts In 10 Years
Internet shutdowns are a two-pronged regulation tool used by governments around the world. While it is seen as a killer of dissent and free speech by many, the other side of the same spectrum sees restrictions on internet as one of the key ways to preserve democracy and free speech.
In peculiar situations, internet shutdowns may help quell violence and potential harm to human life, most of its modern usage is aimed at keeping real-time action under wraps for those outside the no-internet bubble and to prevent communication among those in the bubble.
What are internet shutdowns??
The government of your country and state can arbitrarily enforce internet shutdowns in your region if some "disturbance" is spotted, and if the very same "disturbance" needs to be chastised.?
Internet shutdowns are intentional disruptions to communication methods dependent on the internet that effectively renders all services inoperable, mostly for a certain group of citizens within a certain geographical area with the aim to limit the amount of information being shared.
Also read:?Over 100 Internet Shutdowns Cost 9,200 Crore To Indian Economy, With 4,196 Hours Lost In 2019
During the Delhi riots of 2020, the internet was cut off for most parts of the city to prevent any kind of escalation. However, what marked a horrific week for the national capital is the long-term reality of many in India.
The basic rationale for internet shutdowns for governments is the very act of communication. From the state's lens, instant messaging tools may be used by democracy's apperceived enemies to stoke unrest. Essentially, internet shutdowns make the government's job easier while causing inconvenience to the general citizen.
Which states in India enforce most internet shutdowns?
The former Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is home to some of the world's most arbitrary and longest-running internet shutdown zones. With China and Pakistan, both powerful arch enemies of India neighbouring J&K and using it as the gateway into India, the government has good reason to regulate the information that flows in and out of the region. Even then, the shutdowns have remained rather abrasive, hurting the development of the region and hitting a wide array of sectors and services, especially education.
The longest shutdown in the history of India was also recorded in J&K. Between August 4, 2019 and February 6, 2021, J&K was a no-internet zone after the contentious Article 370 of the Indian constitution was abrogated. With 552 days of internet inactivity, J&K remained the hardest hit. The second-longest internet shutdown was recorded in the neighbouring union territory of Ladakh during the same period, but ending two months earlier on December 27, 2019.
Also read:?Explained: Why Internet Shutdown In UP Is Violating The SC Guidelines In Anuradha Bhasin Case
The third-longest internet shutdown in India also comes from Kashmir when there was no connectivity in the territory between July 8, 2016 and November 19, 2016 after the death of Burhan Wani sparked an agitation in the former state.
So, while internet shutdowns may help the government cut off and control the narrative of any incident, it does little to bolster democracy. Internet shutdowns are also a sign of the times - with ageing democracies and late-stage capitalism changing the ways of our society and how one interacts with one another. The hardest critics of internet shutdowns claim that such Draconian measures are designed to keep the general public in the dark about what's happening in the country.
Also Read:?Explained: Impact Of 4G Ban On Broadband Users In J&K
Regardless of its merits and demerits, internet shutdowns are a lived reality for many Indians. If you've ever wondered which states enforce the most number of shutdowns, we have you covered.
Which Indian states undertake most internet shutdowns??
Here's a list of states and why they were compelled to cut communication in order to preserve "law and order". According to the database maintained by Internet Shutdowns, India has seen 544 internet shutdowns since 2012. The highest number of shutdowns were imposed in 2018 - 134 in total. These numbers are also supported by Statista's statistics.
The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the most number of shutdowns in total. Out of the 544 shutdowns, 315 came just from J&K. Following suit is Rajasthan with 76 shutdowns. At third place is Uttar Pradesh with 30 internet shutdowns so far.
Watch:?Why India Loves Internet Shutdowns!
The top four states in terms of internet shutdown are in north India, including Haryana at number four with 18 shutdowns. The later spots were taken by West Bengal (12), Bihar (11), Maharashtra (11), Gujarat (11), Madhya Pradesh (7), and Meghalaya (7).
Among states that have reported the lowest number of internet shutdowns in India are Chhattisgarh (1), Karnataka (1), Tamil Nadu (1), Himachal Pradesh (1), Jharkhand (1), Uttarakhand (2), Nagaland (3), Assam (3), Punjab (4) Odisha (5), Tripura (5), and Manipur (6).
How India went from reaction to prevention
Internet shutdowns in any part of the world including India are either a precautionary measure against potential strife (preventive) or a response to discord in a particular region (reactive). The reasons for such disarray could be varied, from communal disharmony to terrorism-related shutdowns.
Even then, it appears that the government of India has taken a preventive approach as opposed to a reactive one over the last couple of years. In 2018, India imposed 67 preventive and reactive internet shutdowns each across the country. The numbers started to show a changing pattern after this year.
In 2019, there were 85 preventive internet shutdowns while 21 reactive blackouts were reported. In 2020, 84 shutdowns were imposed to prevent potential disharmony, while 45 were a reaction to any event including protests, riots, etc.
Also read:?India's Internet Shutdowns Reduced Online Transactions By 20-40%, And It's Bad For The Economy
In 2021 so far, India has witnessed 31 preventive shutdowns and 2 reactive internet blackouts, according to Internet Shutdowns, a portal that maintains and logs data surrounding all internet shutdowns in India.
What were the reasons given by India, you wonder? Out of the 109 in 2020, 75 were due to political instability, 10 due to elections, 8 owing to protests, followed by 5 internet shutdowns for religious holidays. 5 shutdowns were marked in the "other" category while 4 were imposed to quell communal violence, while 2 internet blackouts were put in place due to cheating in exams, according to an Al Jazeera analysis.
The cost of internet shutdowns
By large, a nation-state that has a high number of internet shutdowns represents a state of democratic disarray. In happier and prosperous democracies, the rate of internet shutdown and the limits on freedom of speech are between minimal to none. India imposed 109 internet shutdowns in 2020 alone. For perspective, the second-most number of shutdowns were 6 in Yemen. Even India's conservative neighbour Pakistan only imposed two internet shutdowns during the same period.?
The cost of these shutdowns is huge, for the lack of connectivity effectively cripples a territory from conducting trade, providing education, and building infrastructure. In fact, a report called "Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns" compiled by Top10VPN revealed that India lost $2.8 billion in 2020 due to the government's indiscriminate use of internet shutdowns. Out of the global loss of $4 billion, India accounts for the three fourth amount ($2.8 billion).
What do you think about internet shutdowns? Should the world's largest democracy, India, continue to enforce arbitrary shutdowns or pave the way for more freedom of speech? Let us know what you think in the comments below, especially if you have been affected by internet shutdowns.
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Citation
InternetShutdowns.in. Tracking internet shutdowns in India.
TIMESOFINDIA.COM. (2021, January 6). How India lost $2.8 billion to internet shutdowns in 2020. The Times of India.?
Al Jazeera. (2021, March 3). Mapping internet shutdowns around the world. Infographic News?
Statista. (2021, March 3). Number of internet shutdowns India 2021, by state.?
