Kashmir calling

Cellphone connectivity 8212; something that is taken so much for granted in the rest of India 8212; has just come to Jammu and Kashmir. It...

Cellphone connectivity 8212; something that is taken so much for granted in the rest of India 8212; has just come to Jammu and Kashmir. It marks another significant step towards normalcy in the state. Those queues of people jostling to figure in the list of the lucky 5,000 who will become cellphone owners in the initial phase, tell a story of ordinary people who wish nothing more than to lead productive lives after years of existing in the penumbra of the battle-zone. They know that in today8217;s world the cellphone has the potential of transforming not just inter-personal communication but business and professional prospects. Not surprisingly, therefore, it is the young who are the most enthused by the new device. As one man told this newspaper rather poignantly, 8216;8216;How long should we remain backward?8217;8217;

What we have here, then, is a mini-revolution not just in telecommunications but in expectations in a region that has high levels of education and significant natural resources. The cellphone could have a multiplier effect in the state by helping to synergise that prosperity and literacy and overcome the obstacles posed by a difficult terrain. Ultimately, it is the healing touch fuelled by people8217;s own enterprise, rather than any state intervention, that will prove sustainable; ultimately, the only way to end militancy is by addressing popular alienation. Improving telecom connectivity could be an important element in this vital, complex process.

In the aftermath of the attack on Parliament in December 2001, the NDA government took the controversial decision to ban the use of Internet and withdraw STD and ISD facilities in the state. This was done, ostensibly, to shore up security. But whether the measure did in fact have the effect it was meant to have is an open question. While terrorist outfits continued to have access to sophisticated means of communication, innocent citizens were deprived of the means to communicate to family and friends outside the state and the country. Fortunately the ban was withdrawn before the state went to the polls last year to the general relief of all. While security in the state cannot be compromised, there are ways to ensure that this is done in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of the common man and woman to live a normal life with all the amenities of modernity.