Kashmir Did Not Have Mobile Phones Till 2005, Was Life Abnormal Then, Asks BJP Leader

The mobile services started in India in 1996, Kashmir got it in 2005. Was the life abnormal in the Valley till then?” BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli asked during a debate on empty schools in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Schools and colleges have been open in Jammu and Kashmir for several days now, but they remain empty as parents refuse to send their children. An India Today TV ground report found that parents are scared of sending their children away from home without mobile phones or proper communication channels. They fear not being able to contact their kids in case the situation suddenly escalated or restrictions were imposed again.

However, the BJP spokesperson says that the lack of mobile service is nothing but a lame excuse. “I would say in simplest terms, it is a lame excuse as the world survived without mobile phones before and it can again. Proper landline services are working, which can be used to stay in touch,” Nalin Kohli told India Today TV’s Rajdeep Sardesai. “Those who want to live normally, create normalcy,” he said.

The BJP leader also claimed that the mobile services were a gateway to stone-pelting. “Mobile services open up internet which has Whatsapp. The messaging service is a way for stone-pelters to mobilize, which put children in harm’s way,” he said.

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