Sandhya
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 22: Restoration of mobile internet services at 10 pm on December 21 brought a major relief among Mangalureans. As a matter of fact, a series of trolls and memes are doing rounds on how Mangalureans spent time, during the 48-hour mobile internet ban.

Though one may not realise, internet and internet-based services have become an integral part of everyday life. For example, when the curfew was lifted from 3 pm to 6 pm on December 21, many shops demanded cash as PoS machines and UPI based payments were not working due to internet suspension.

People rush to stores and markets during curfew relief

"We barely had any cash. Most of the ATMs ran dry and many were not working. We literally were searching for ATMs that could dispense cash, so that we could buy essentials," says Rashmi. Post demonetisation, with most of the shops using PoS machines and UPI based platforms, cashless transactions have become a norm, she adds.

Melissa Pinto, a marketing professional who works in Bengaluru explains, "I had opted for work from home and had come down to Mangaluru for Christmas. With the mobile internet ban, the internet hotspot I use stopped working. I was unable to work. Even the cyber centres remained closed. I had an important Skype conference with an international client, which I had to reschedule," she said.

A couple of journalists who had come down from Bengaluru to cover curfew and other incidents in Mangaluru had similar woes. "We had to send important updates to our office via SMS or through calls. Sending pictures, which was otherwise an easy job with WhatsApp, became a challenge. We had to rely on a couple of friends who use broadband in their houses," explains the journalist.

The large number of student population who stay in rented apartments and depend on hotels and food delivery apps had to make alternative arrangements. "I usually order food via Swiggy or Zomato. However, neither the hotels were open nor the food delivery apps were functional. We lived on instant noodles and snacks which we bought from a nearby shop," says Akhil. Also, a self-declared PubG addict, Akhil adds that he missed playing the game.

Jacintha who video calls her son's family living in US via WhatsApp and Skype everyday says she missed seeing her grandkids. "My son called me on phone to check on me. However, I never felt the distance due to video calls. I talk to my three-year-old grandson every day and missed doing the same for two days," she explained.