‘My First Tweet From Kashmir’: Messages Flood in From Valley After Seven Months

On March 4, many people from Kashmir tweeted for the first time after August 5, 2019, when the Centre scrapped Article 370 of the Indian constitution and shut down all channels of communication in the Valley.

The administration of the union territory issued an order allowing internet access with 2G speed without any restrictions. Earlier, the government had issued a ‘whitelist’ of websites that could be accessed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Internet services would also be available on landline connections, but users will be granted permission only after verification.

According to India Today, the new order shall be applicable only till March 17 on an “experimental basis”. However, there will still be some restrictions. For instance, internet speed shall be restricted to only 2G and pre-paid SIM users will be able to access internet only after undergoing verification.

For the past seven months, many were accessing social media sites through VPNs. As soon as the internet was restored, many took to Twitter to post messages of joy, grief and hope.