Photos: Mobile phone networks partially restored in Kashmir
Updated On Oct 15, 2019 04:31 PM IST
India restored some mobile phone services in contested Kashmir on Monday, two months after imposing a communications clampdown on the Himalayan region. India stripped Kashmir valley of statehood and autonomy on August 5, cutting internet and phone lines and arresting thousands in an attempt to dampen dissent. The restrictions have gradually been eased. Landlines were restored last month, and an advisory asking tourists to not travel to the region was also lifted last week. Mobile phones taken out on contracts--"post-paid" plans were functional across Kashmir on Monday. Pre-paid mobile phones still remain restricted.
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Updated on Oct 15, 2019 04:31 PM IST
A woman uses a computer with a board in the foreground announcing the restoration of postpaid mobile services in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Mobile phones of around 4 million post-paid subscribers in the Valley came back to life on Monday, connecting residents to friends and family nearly two-and-a-half months after the Centre snapped services in the region and introduced restrictions ahead of revoking Jammu & Kashmir’s special status. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)
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A woman talks to her son. Locals appeared relieved after the easing of the communications embargo, dialling their relatives, and wishing each other “Eid Mubarak” — the festival fell on August 12, about a week after the ban kicked in. (S. Irfan / PTI)
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An Indian paramilitary soldier talks on his cellphone as he guards a closed market in Srinagar. J&K has been in the grip of restrictions since August 5. The central government’s decision has triggered intense debate in the country and even beyond its borders, with opposition parties criticising the curbs and the detention of the state’s political leaders, including former chief ministers. The government says it has taken all necessary steps to maintain security in the militancy-hit state. (Mukhtar Khan / AP)
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Last week, authorities announced tourists would be allowed back into the region, after they were asked to leave in August. Educational institutions are also open, but attendance has been low. In Jammu, communication was restored within days of the blockade and mobile internet was started around mid-August. However, after its misuse, internet facility on cell phones was snapped on August 18. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)
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The resumption of the service was only for voice calls and text message. Landline phones were restored in the region last month, but the ban on over 2 million prepaid mobile connections and Internet services will continue. (ANI)
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“I had not spoken to my relatives in Delhi and elsewhere outside Kashmir for 70 days. I want to hear from all of them and want to tell them we are still alive,” Basharat Ahmad, a resident of the old city of Srinagar, said. In just an hour, he said he made 30 calls. (ANI)
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Updated on Oct 15, 2019 04:31 PM IST