Kashmiri students in other states lose contact with family as phone networks snap

Kashmiri students in other states lose contact with family as phone networks snap

Srinagar: Kashmiri students and civilians in other Indian states and foreign countries have been suddenly disconnected from their families back home since Wednesday morning, when the government snapped all mobile phone (except BSNL) and mobile internet services in Kashmir valley.
This snapping of communication is particularly distressing at the time of the Covid-19 epidemic as family members fear for the health of each other and wish to keep themselves informed about any news of cases of infection.
A Kashmiri student in Gurgaon, Saima Noor, told Kashmir Reader over landline phone that she was extremely worried. “We’ve no clue what will happen to us. We’ve even lost communication with our families in Kashmir valley,” she said.
A group of students in Punjab similarly told Kashmir Reader that they are worried about their parents. “We don’t know how to contact our families and we don’t know how long this will go on for. We have every sort of apprehension in our minds,” they said.
They also complained that the Jammu and Kashmir authorities have been unable to do anything to help them return home. They said that the helpline numbers issued for stranded citizens have become unresponsive.
Similarly, a group of students in Haryana told Kashmir Reader, “The authorities are not doing anything to rescue us. Now we’ve even lost contact with our families in Kashmir due to suspension of phone services.”
They added that they’re running short of money, even for daily essentials.
The authorities snapped mobile phone and mobile internet services in entire Kashmir valley following the encounter at Awantipora in which Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational commander in Kashmir, Riyaz Naikoo, was killed.

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