THE BAN: THAT IS PROVING BANE

                                                     

We live in age of IT, which can be called as “Digital Age” .Presently it is hard to imagine about life without internet, for the people from different walks of life are directly or indirectly dependent on it. From student to teacher, employee to bureaucrat, farmer to businessmen, all rely on it for one or other purposes. Farmer apparently has nothing to do with internet but he also turns to it for confirmation about weather and climatic conditions and for businessmen, it constitutes backbone of business. In addition the significance of E-commerce cannot be underestimated which is considered as most reliable form of commerce and is now gaining more and more popularity among common masses.

However, everything in this universe has two faces i.e., Positive and Negative, same is the case with internet. Besides being advantageous, internet no doubt has negative impact also, especially when misused. Social media is best utility of internet which has brought people very much closer and has attracted people so much that they have become crazy about it .Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. is companion of every single person who treat these social sites and thus internet, indispensible part of everyday life but misuse of these sites has put question mark on its usage when people spread false news and render the population panicked. Once there was rumor about deaths due to Polio vaccine, which left parents almost half dead, later it was found to be a rumor promulgated on social site. Recently another fake news about bus accident made rounds on Facebook with people conveying condolences but ultimately that turned out to be rascality of some user. Negativity will continue and for that we cannot think of banning things having large good that surpasses their negativity colossally. Misuse of internet has been witnessed in past as well in different countries but no establishment issued orders to ban internet. Meanwhile, United Nations Human Rights Council describes it as collective punishment. Contrary to this, Kashmir is being repeatedly deprived from internet and surprisingly not for misuse but for its use to express dissent which is democratic right under democracies. The ban was first ordered during 2010 agitation, after that in 2016 and now again after student uprising, when almost every college transformed into battle grounds and video showing ruthlessness of armed forced were circulated on social media. As a matter of fact, the only aim behind gagging internet is to conceal the ground reality from rest of world, which is an unproductive attempt as truth like sunshine can dominate clouds of falsity any time .It is inconvertible thus can’t be converted into falsehood by any sort of tactics. Authorities however claim the internet ban would prevent the spreading of rumors and help them to solve problems that Kashmir is going through and has been blocked only to have normalcy in state.  But think tanks need to ponder. Had this been solution to the problem, scenario would have changed after 2010. Similarly, situation would not have deteriorated further after 2016 uprising, if ban could have changed the situation in Kashmir, when internet services remained suspended for months together. The administration needs to be factual and realistic; banning internet has proven useless exercise in past and at present as well. Realistically, it has converse effects, besides appeasing it pesters the people, it prevents people to vent out frustration and anger that is then seen in streets .People who prefer to stay indoors, engaging themselves through internet connectivity are compelled to come out to know about happenings and then to plunge into unpleasant activities . If we analyze the logic of preventing rumor spreading, internet blockade seems to have reverse impact; in truth it intensifies spread of rumors as the person fails to access substantial and valid news. Additionally, internet is not merely using social sites; as mentioned earlier, we have some people in society who wholly are subservient to internet for livelihood. Media Fraternity, Tour and Travel agencies, Businessmen etc. are internet dependent to win bread. Unemployed youth who eagerly look for jobs are badly affected. Some students want to access universities of choice but fail because of lack of connectivity. Most of universities announce admission in ongoing season, due to unavailability of internet service aspirants finally are disappointed as they lose opportunity. Though broadband services are sometimes operative but a person from far flung areas having no facilities, has to face difficulties. In other words, gagging internet is futile exercise and doesn’t have any behooveful impact. It can further complicate the complex situation prevailing in state by making rumor mills to run freely, plus by interfering in private occupations and activities of people, it is proving bane by adding to miseries.

Writer: - Zeeshan Rasool Khan (postgraduate student of zoology)    Email: Mohdzeeshan605@gmail.com