Indian Government Cuts Off Internet Access To 27 Million Punjab Residents As It Continues Its Targeting Of Sikhs

The Indian government under Narendra Modi has become an even worse version of itself. It has expanded its power unilaterally to silence critics and oppress citizens Modi doesn’t care for. It has continued to do this despite courts finding these actions illegal.

The government has, on more than one occasion, cut millions of people’s access to the internet. It claims these extreme measures are justified to ensure the safety of residents during periods of upheaval, but it’s clear these blackouts are being used to help the government control the narrative when faced with mass criticism.

More of the same is on tap as the Modi government continues its oppression of Sikh residents in the Punjab region — the only region in the country where Sikhs are not a minority. Following a violent protest earlier this year, the government clamped down on the region’s 27 million residents while searching for a single person: Sikh political activist Amritpal Singh, who the government claimed had instigated the violence against Punjab police officers. Pallavi Pundir, reporting for Vice, details the internet clampdown the government deployed during its search for Singh.

This week, state police and paramilitary forces put Punjab on edge as they swept through the whole state searching for Singh to arrest him. They said Singh is a “national security threat” and named the February incident as the reason for the crackdown.  

Authorities blocked internet access, placed restrictions on movement, stopped protests, suspended Twitter accounts and arrested over a hundred people, all in the span of four days. 

Up to 27 million people deprived of internet access just so the government could try (and fail) to track down someone who’d make them look cruel and inept. Singh became one of several public enemies number one following the protest against the (apparently wrongful) arrest of a Sikh man for kidnapping. Those charges were dropped and the man was released, prompting yet another protest against police abuse in Punjab. Having embarrassed itself, the government decided to punish an entire reason for its own inability to prevent itself from engaging in oppressive tactics targeting the Sikh population.

But this extreme form of damage control isn’t working. This persecution — and its accompanying internet blackout — has attracted attention elsewhere in the world.

In Canada, which has the world’s largest Sikh population after India, Member of Parliament Jagmeet Singh called the ongoing measures “draconian.” 

“These measures are unsettling for many [Sikhs] given [the state’s] historical use to execute extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances,” he tweeted.

And the oppression continues, enabled by an oft-abused law that (no surprise) declares national security concerns justify massive government overreach.

This week, the Punjab police released dramatic details of Singh’s alleged escape: from a high-speed car chase, to claiming that Singh is hiding in disguise. So far, the Punjab police have arrested 154 of his associates. Singh and four others are charged under the draconian National Security Act (NSA), which gives overarching powers to the state to detain anyone. 

Just like every other country in the world (including ours!), saying the words “national security” tilts all the power towards the executive branch, allowing the Indian government to do what it wants, when it wants, all without having to seek approval from courts or legislators. And it can continue to do these things without ever having to offer explicit justifications or explanations because any discussion would supposedly threaten the security of the nation.

So, the oppression continues with no end in sight. And it has been extended to those who merely observe and report of the government’s actions.

As of this week, Punjab police continue to crack down on protesters. Amandeep, an independent journalist from the state, whose Twitter account is also suspended, told VICE World News that the phones of some journalists have been seized. He requested anonymity due to fears for his security.

Despite all of this, the government has still failed to control the narrative, at least not abroad. With intermittent internet access, residents are limited to seeing what the government wants it to see. But they’re not stupid. They know what’s happening isn’t what’s being portrayed by the outlets the government controls. Unfortunately, knowing you’re being lied to isn’t the same thing as being able to do anything about it. And without stable access to the internet, it’s extremely difficult to counter the government’s narrative, which is exactly why these extreme measures are being deployed.

The government doesn’t need to cut off internet access to track down alleged criminals. But it does need to do that if its efforts are motivated almost solely by the ruling party’s animus towards certain residents of the country.