NEW DELHI, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chief Minister of India's northeastern state of Manipur N Biren Singh announced that the internet services in the state were restored on Saturday.
"As a precautionary measure to prevent unwanted incidents, the state government imposed a ban on the internet. But from today onwards, the internet will be open to the masses," he said while addressing a press conference.
Local government snapped internet services for mobile and broadband on May 3 across the state, the day large-scale violence broke out. The ban, first imposed for a duration of five days, citing the law and order problem, had been extended since then.
Although the government on July 25 lifted the ban partially, allowing only broadband services to function with certain conditions, the mobile internet ban continued.
Manipur has been on edge since May 3 when large-scale violence broke out in the state during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status - designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups, which gives them reservations in education and government jobs. ■