Nagaland government writes to I&B ministry; wants ban on some pages of Facebook

GUWAHATI: Nagaland government has moved Centre seeking banning certain pages of the social networking site Face book.

Nagaland police has arrested 50 persons in connection with public lynching of the rape accused Syed Farid Khan last week.

IGP Wabang Jamir told ET, “Most of those arrested was students while one or two were professionals. Several of those arrested had admitted that they communicated with each other through social media, in particular certain Facebook pages administered by Nagas (Naga Blog and Naga Spear). State government has written to Ministry of information and broadcasting to bar both the Facebook pages.”

He added, “The ministry has asked us to re-apply with screenshots of objectionable pages. We are in the process and will soon send it.”

The videos and photographs of lynching had gone viral in social media forcing government to blackout internet and blocking SMS/MMS services.

Jamir added abuse of technology has also contributed in a large way in escalating the March 5 incident.There was a need to regulate social media.

This is not first time that such demand is made, earlier Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi underscored the need for effectively regulating the use of social network media, radio, TV and other such means of communication to curb the vested interest of the trouble mongers.

Assam had in 2012 witnessed ethnic clashes in Bodoland. Social networking sites fueled tension in several areas of India this led to mass exodus of North easterners from those places.