An Insight into Arunachal Pradesh

Arif Siddiqui & Tom Simai |Jairampur

Technologies have really transformed the way we live in this contemporary world. Who might have thought few years back that internet and mobile phone would shrink the world. In Arunachal Pradesh 3 years back cell phone was a forbidden dream and as time went by it became a necessity for the working class, businessman, students, housewives and almost for everyone who sought to remain attached with their near and dear ones. BSNL fueled those dreams to get connected. The far flung locals were thrilled to be connected and flaunted the modern-day marvels.

Unfortunately, those excitements get ruined once connected to BSNL, because every time a number is dialed the voice of a girl confirms that the network is busy. This are the times when even the pretty voice can’t pacify the frustration. It’s amazing that the country famous for being the epitome of laziness and snail paced works, here is a department that works round the clock and shamelessly remains busy.

As it has become necessity so people honestly rely on cell phones to make task easier and save travel costs. But when the times arrive the network betrays the consumers. In true sense, due to ineffectiveness of consumer courts it has made the BSNL authoritative burglar, so they are robbing the hard earned money of the citizens. The slogan says it’s connecting India but in reality they are accountable of all the mental trauma and agonies that a subscriber had to go through to just get the network. Hopefully, BSNL is making progress in AP because it networks seems to be busy all the hours of day and night. The natives are giving them millions of money in profits so at least in courtesy BSNL should in a day keep some free hours for the subscriber so that the people with important task could get thorough and make their work done.

BSNL is the largest telecom company in India, with countless connectivity (subscriber) and worthless services in the world, as there is no network in most of the places, most of the time. Either they are ignoring the needs of the calm peoples of Arunachal or they do not count Arunachal as a part of India. It wasn’t stunning to know that when one of the ASM residing in Jairampur, complained after getting repeated connection error, ridiculously the staff of BSNL convinced him that the cell phone he has bought was faulty as rest of the cell phones were working. It’s sign of pure lunacy and height of inefficiency and spontaneously realistic as in Jairampur an illiterate line man is overall in charge of the telephone exchange worth millions. According to his nonsensical theories, problem occurs due to loss in satellite frequencies, most of the times he switches off the exchange due to the risk of lightening, sometime Microwave Radio is switched off from Digboi, sometime AC is not working, sometime due to the lack of power supply, burning of cards and the list goes on of farcical pretences.

The natives of Miao uses their handsets as an alternative to alarm clock and the denizens of Changlang has almost forgot about the usage of mobile since many months, it is happening there where the BSNL SDO resides, making mockery of the local administration. Unfortunately or fortunately the cell phone of the SDO remains unreachable most of the time. Jairampur is worst affected where the services are accessed in day time only. Intentionally peoples are being harassed by regularly disconnecting the outgoing calls even after paying the bills in time. BSNL will produce the justification that it is due to non submission of statement from bank. Is it the duty of consumer to check whether BSNL employees have collected the statement from the bank or not. There are huge numbers of consumers whose outgoing call are barred since 9^th of January and nobody takes the responsibilities to readdress the consumer’s grievances. Call center are just waste of time because whenever inquired it retorts that the matter has been forwarded to the concerned authorities where as in reality it tries the best to refrain the consumers queries. The authorities in Itanagar are relaxing by putting ear buds and state Government is waiting for something worst to happen. The inappropriate functioning of the BSNL has crafted havoc and jeopardized life across Arunachal. The State authorities also need to look into this matter as being central department does not mean that it will run the system as a feudal lord.

The monopoly of the BSNL is getting into our skin. They are making mockery of tribal patience and looting them with smiles on their faces. The cells are used now days to hear music or click photographs the real purpose of it has been long forgotten by the users. For communication we have to rely on Pigeons or the telegrams. The thought that BSNL will support to connect Arunachal has been ludicrous unfortunately its taking us back to head hunting days, towards an uncivilized world so if someone behaves in that way will the authorities tolerate?

(And I thought only this part (Ziro-Hapoli) of the state is hit by erratic mobile service provided by the lone service provider BSNL, whereas it is a common phenomenon in almost all the parts of Arunachal. Thanks Arif and Tom for contributing this article highlighting poor mobile service of BSNL)

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