Srinagar: The suspension of mobile phones and internet in Kashmir has created problems for everybody involved in relief work amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
The government in anticipation of anti-government protests post the killing of insurgent Riyaz Naikoo and his associates on Wednesday snapped mobile internet and prepaid and postpaid mobile services except of BSNL in Kashmir.
Philanthropy organisations that were providing food to the needy, medical professionals providing consultation on telephone, and communication between volunteers engaged in relief work have all been badly hit.
Most of the areas in Kashmir have been declared as red zones and entry and exit of people is prohibited. The difficulties of people living in these red zones have been amplified due to the suspension of phone and internet services.
A medical helpline operated by the philanthropic organisation Athrout has stopped functioning. The group was providing online medical consultation to non-Covid patients who could not visit hospital for treatment.
“We used to receive more than 30 calls a day for consultation. We also contacted our volunteers through phones. We used to receive donations through internet. All of it has stopped,” said Bashir Nadvi, chairman of Athrout.
The group had also started Yakjut, a website that acted as a centre for all queries and SOS calls, which were forwarded to authorities concerned for action.
Shakir Mir, a journalist, shared his suffering on his Twitter handle. He wrote, “My father who suffers from Aortic Regurgitation (AR) complained of chest discomfort and tried calling many cardiologists but to no avail since none of them had BSNL numbers. He sat motionless clutching his chest with both hands. Communication blockade will kill people in Kashmir.”
Government efforts of reaching out to people have also been affected. Officials cannot reach out to their team on the ground because there is no communication channel. “Only officials who have access to BSNL are available but that will not suffice,” said an official working in Srinagar.
Kashmirs stranded outside have also faced problems as they cannot reach out to their families.
“Just managed to speak with my family. The phones were snapped and I had been badly trying to reach out to them. It’s become so suffocating back in Kashmir – the daily humiliations, the denigrations, the denial of rights that my sister-in-law could hold it no more,” wrote Malik Aabid on Twitter

Junaid Nabi Bazaz