The Manipur administration has imposed a sweeping internet and mobile data shutdown for five days in five Imphal Valley districts-Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur-beginning late on June 7. The move, aimed at quelling violent protests over the arrest of leaders from the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol, includes a curfew, security clampdown, and suspension of VSAT and VPN services to counter the spread of misinformation.

Despite the government's intent to prevent unrest, the blackout has paralyzed daily life. Countless students are unable to submit exam applications or attend classes, businesses face collapse without digital payments or operations, and many working professionals have been forced to flee the state for connectivity . Human rights advocates and academics argue the shutdown undermines press freedom and disrupts fact-checking of rumors, potentially inflaming the crisis further.

Critics spotlight a legal battle over whether blanket blackouts comply with Supreme Court directives that limit shutdowns to 15 days and stress proportionality . As protests and curfews persist, the digital blackout deepens the humanitarian and socio-economic rupture across Manipur.