With the Haryana government banning mobile internet in 17 districts of the state in view of the farmers’ agitation, students are on the receiving end as the move has disrupted their online classes.
While initially, the government had suspended mobile internet in Sonepat, Jhajjar and Palwal, it further extended the ban to 14 other districts on Friday. A government release on late Saturday evening conveyed that the ban will be in place till the evening of January 31.
Apart from the three districts mentioned earlier, the ban has been imposed in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari and Sirsa.
Nikita Dhaka, a Class 12 (commerce) student from Rohtak, said, “Our final exams are just over a month away. We have already lost precious time due to the pandemic outbreak and now this mobile internet ban has further added to our woes. The government has no concern for us, it seems.” She says that she used to take online tests every evening to evaluate her progress, but now her study plans have gone awry.
Ankit Takshak, a Class 12 (non-medical) student from Bhiwani, said his school teachers had been sending assignments and question banks to the class through Whatsapp but now they are unable to do so. “I am neither able to attend online classes nor get assignments from my teachers. Does the government not have a better plan to tackle the agitation? Do they have to make us suffer after forcing our parents to protest on the state border in the biting cold? It seems they have made up their minds to destroy the future of farmers as well as schoolchildren,” said Takshak.
{{/usCountry}}Ankit Takshak, a Class 12 (non-medical) student from Bhiwani, said his school teachers had been sending assignments and question banks to the class through Whatsapp but now they are unable to do so. “I am neither able to attend online classes nor get assignments from my teachers. Does the government not have a better plan to tackle the agitation? Do they have to make us suffer after forcing our parents to protest on the state border in the biting cold? It seems they have made up their minds to destroy the future of farmers as well as schoolchildren,” said Takshak.
{{/usCountry}}He added that the government’s decision of banning mobile internet will only affect children coming from economically weaker sections as parents of such children won’t be able to afford WiFi connections.
Yachika Sihag, an IAS aspirant from Hisar, said she paid ₹2 lakh for year-long online coaching for UPSC exams but is now unable to attend those due to the ban.
“The government has been asking people to go digital but with frequent bans, how is one supposed to do that. The government has IT cells, administration, police and other agencies to maintain law and order. Why do they have to ban the internet and create hurdles for people? I hope the internet services are restored soon,” she said.
Pawan Kumar, a parent from Rohtak, said there is no facility of WiFi connection in their village and so his daughter, who studies in Class 10, has been unable to take classes since Friday. “Board exams are around the corner and the government is creating trouble for students by banning internet services. Instead of hearing farmers’ problems, the government has created problems for our children too,” he added.