Campaign for Internet Freedom – The right to write, SMS still banned in J&K

Campaign for Internet Freedom – The right to write, SMS still banned in J&K
Yash Khajuria	12/30/2011 9:15:08 PM
JAMMU, Dec 30: The passing year 2011 has witnessed an intense debate over the issue of social networking sites. The Minister for Telecom Kapil Sibbal had given the signals about Government censorship on some of the sites. However still ban of SMS services in Jammu and Kashmir, has not made the headlines of any major national media. Some people say that – “Good publicity is good, but bad publicity is better”. And we as social animals are purview to this fact more now than ever. It is so easy these days to generate a controversy and ride on the waves of media explosion that happens after that supplemented by the sharing of free information across Facebook and Twitter. The people of Jammu and Kashmir also expressed similar kind of sentiments. Though, their condition is miserable vis-a-vis ban on Short Message Service (SMS) on Pre-paid mobile service. It is been nearly one and half year since the SMS service for pre-paid subscribers was stopped. Since, Jammu and Kashmir is a conflict zone that's why no serious thought is being given to the demand of revoking this ban. Pre-paid subscribers are annoyed over this unnecessary and unwanted ban as they are not been able to wish their friends and dear one through SMS on festive occasions like, Christmas, Diwali, New Year etc. The people sincerely feel that Government is wise enough to know the timing of imposing ban and thereafter lifting the same. But, in reality the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has forgotten that SMS services were banned. The Government has no reason to continue the ban despite that no plan has been formulated to lift the same. But, the innocent people have no option than to wait for Government decision. Youth Opinion:  It might be the pressure of his political life that our Chief Minister has forgot that the Short message Service has been barred from such a long time, He should think that the masses in Jammu are more supportive to his government throughout his tenure of being a Chief minister of the state as compare to the masses of valley.  We didn’t pelt a single stone on him and the situation is far differing from the valley in Jammu. Since the ban of this Service should be revoked at least in Jammu.  From: Chetan Sharma (Gandhi Nagar)  If you have to cut a tree you have to cut it from the root and not the stems should be cut, banning the SMS is not a solution of the problem. As once the stems re-grow it will become again a huge tree so the major cause of this conflict should be cured and not the messages should be banned. Why every time the innocent common mass has to suffer b’coz of these anti-social elements? And the most affected ones are the youths whose networking goes through SMS only.  Soop... I don’t agree with it and banning the SMS is not the only solution. That’s not fair at all really..!!!  From: Ritika Sharma (Kathua)  Right after the statement of the minister for telecom, Mr. Kapil Sibbal that these Social networking sites should be banned our Chief Minister reacted via- tweeter in favor of these sites.  If he doesn’t want to lose his favorite time pass, a medium to interact with his friends and follower then he should think a bit for the people to whom he is administrating that they only have this service to share their sentiments towards the friends.  From: Jatinder Singh (Jammu)  On the one side our Chief Minister is consistently advocating that the security system is improved now in the state therefore the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is to be removed from the state, but when it comes to the freedom of the of masses he reflects his side from the mirror.  If the situation is so improved now then what’s wrong in revoking this unwanted Ban from the state. This makes us feel to be in a prison then in the open.  From: Gaurav Sarma (Student M.Com)  Since I have my own Business regarding Consultancy and Networking, to make contact with my clients I have to use SMS because it costs least instead of making a call But Due to the Ban on SMS service Even despite of having Postpaid Connection I am unable to do that Coz 90 % of the Mobile Users in the State are Prepaid users.  So from the Business point of view this service should be restart.  From: Ankit Rampaul (Businessman, R. S. Pura)