While the government has allowed access to only a few hundred whitelisted sites on low-speed 2G internet in Kashmir, users are complaining that even the whitelisted sites are not working properly.
Since morning, numerous youths preparing for competitive examinations called Greater Kashmir and said they can’t access some websites. “Since last evening we can’t access UPSC website,” said Sameer Ahmad who is preparing for a competitive examination. “Even some mailing sites are not opening.”
![Men offer funeral prayers of a woman who died from COVID-19 in Srinagar on April 26, 2021. [Aman Farooq for Greater Kashmir]](https://i1.wp.com/www.greaterkashmir.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/body-of-covid-paticth-at-hawal-3-scaled.jpg?resize=250%2C175&ssl=1)
Another caller Irshad Ahmad said that he used to read some online newspapers on 2G internet. “Now even I am not able to access my Yahoo mail,” he said, adding that before Government blocked the VPNs, these site were working on 2G internet.
“Internet miseries are piling up with each passing day,” the youth lamented.
Thousands of students, Irshad said, are now relying on 2G system. “But the question is how can we undertake research when even the whitelisted sites are having issues,” he said.
“If the government thinks that a few persons misuse VPNs, why to deny internet to 13 million people of J&K?” he asked.
Officials said that issues are being fixed. “As the firewall has almost been completed, related issues are also being fixed,” an official said.
Internet services, landline and mobile phones were snapped across Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of Centre’s announcement to scrap special status of the state on August 5, 2029. While most of the services except mobile internet were restored in Jammu within a week, Kashmir witnessed restoration of landlines, postpaid mobile services and internet facilities to essential services like hospitals in phases.
Last week, J&K Home Department in an order said that restrictions on internet would continue till March 4. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been asked to ensure access to 1,674 white-listed sites only and not to any social media applications allowing peer-to-peer communication and VPN applications.
The websites that have been whitelisted include around 85 sites categorised as “utilities”, 60 news websites, over 45 education sites, 14 banking sites, 12 search engine websites, 19 travel sites, 18 entertainment websites and four mail websites — Yahoo, Outlook, Gmail and Rediff.
Among other websites that have been whitelisted are automobile websites, employment sites such as Naukri.com, and government websites, including that of J&K Police, UIDAI, GST department, passport offices and other essential official sites.
The largest category among the whitelisted websites is that of those classified as utilities. These include online shopping websites like Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, websites of courier companies, Swiggy, Zamato, Jio chat, Fabindia and Paytm. However, most of these websites require 4G internet to work properly.
