Internet ban in Garo Hills curtails access, disrupts education and economy: Bernard N Marak

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Raising concerns over the continuing suspension of internet services in the Garo Hills region, BJP Vice President and MDC from Tura, Bernard N Marak, on Tuesday termed the restriction a serious impediment to citizens' access to essential services, education and economic activity, and urged the State government to restore connectivity at the earliest in the interest of normalcy.

Highlighting the widespread fallout of the shutdown across both urban and rural areas, he said, "The ongoing internet ban in Garo Hills suppresses our freedom to access the world." He underscored that, despite users continuing to pay for services, the absence of connectivity has severely affected daily life. "We are paying for the service; youths, students, rural communities and urban residents-everybody is paying for the service-but deprivation of this has made life difficult because everything is online."

Drawing attention to the education sector, Marak noted that students are among the worst affected by the disruption. "Students cannot access online classes, submit academic work, or apply for exams and scholarships, which is disrupting education," he said, adding that the digital divide has widened further in the absence of internet access.

He also pointed to the economic repercussions, particularly in urban centres, where businesses dependent on digital transactions have been hit. "In urban areas, residents and businesses are facing financial losses due to halted digital transactions, while rural communities are cut off from essential communication, banking and government services," he said, emphasising that many welfare schemes and official processes are now entirely online.

Reiterating the urgency of the situation, he said, "All the schemes are online and have to be uploaded online." Calling for immediate intervention, Marak added, "Since customers are paying for this service, I request the government to restore internet services at the earliest so that normalcy returns in Garo Hills."

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