Athira Sethu
Kochi, 18 December 2024
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, said Starlink satellite services are not active in India after claims of starlink satellite devices being involved in the Manipur conflict.
Recently, an Indian Army raid in Keirao Khunou of Imphal East district seized a number of internet devices. Among those, one item had a “Starlink logo”. This led people on social media to make claims that “Starlink technology was being misused by terrorists”.
One user posted, “Terrorists are already using Starlink. Hope the genius that is Elon Musk sees it and helps monitor misuse of technology like this.”
Musk replied saying, “this is false”. According to Musk, Starlink beams over India are turned off.
The items seized include a satellite antenna, a satellite router, and about 20 meters of cables. Indian authorities are now investigating how Starlink equipment ended up in the troubled region.
Starlink, satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, does not possess a license to operate in India. The violence that is still ongoing in Manipur since May last year has already led to the killing of over 250 people and leaving many homeless. The two fighting groups are the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, and this battle has caused severe unrest in the region.
