Internet services restored in Manipur; schools, colleges to reopen on Tuesday

The Manipur Government on Monday lifted the week-long ban on mobile internet services in the five valley districts, while all schools and colleges will reopen from Tuesday, officials said.

Ending the suspension on mobile internet services, which had only been extended on Sunday, Commissioner, Home, N. Ashok Kumar, in his order, said that the state government has reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the state and decided to lift any form of temporary internet suspension, which was in good faith imposed as a preventive measure in the public interest.

"… the Governor of Manipur is pleased to order revocation of any extant orders for temporary suspension of internet and mobile data services including Lease Lines, VSATs, broadbands and VPN services in the territorial jurisdiction of the state with immediate effect," the order said.

After incidents of violence and student protests for two days, the state government on September 10 suspended the mobile internet service in five districts -- Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching -- till September 15, and on Sunday, the ban was extended for another five days, till September 20.

The state government restored broadband and fixed lease line internet services in five districts in the Manipur Valley on September 12, while keeping the suspension for the mobile internet.

Meanwhile, the Higher and Technical Education Department and the Directorate of Education, in two separate orders, announced that all schools, colleges and technical institutions would be reopened from Tuesday.

Director of Education L Nandakumar Singh in an order on Monday said that the normal classes would resume in all government, government-aided, and private schools from Tuesday.

In another order, Joint Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, Laishram Dolie Devi said that all the government, government-aided, and private colleges would reopen on Tuesday.

After several incidents of violence in different districts between September 1 and 7, claiming 12 lives including two women, and injuring 20 others and subsequent student protests for two days on September 9 and 10, the state government closed all schools, colleges and technical institutions across the state.

After the violence, thousands of students belonging to schools and colleges held protests for two days (on September 9 and 10) in support of their demands which included the removal of the Director General of police and chief security advisor to the state government for their alleged inability to deal with the rising militant violence. The student leaders separately met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and highlighted their demands, which also included the withdrawal of Central forces from the state and maintaining the territorial integrity of Manipur.