Submitted by Mike Grenville on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:39

After a five month ban text messaging has been turned back on in Kashmir.

Confirming the lifting of ban, principal secretary, home, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai said, “We have withdrawn our earlier order banning the SMS services because we feel the suspension is no longer required.”

The service was closed down in August after it was alleged that some Hindu right wing activists were using SMS to spread rumours following the Amarnath land transfer controversy.

The original government order banning the SMS in in Jammu on 3rd August and later Kashmir was revoked by the high court. However, the government challenged the order in the Supreme Court on August 5 which upheld the government order.

In September Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir called off their two month protest after the government allowed them temporary use of land at the centre of a religious row for an annual pilgrimage. At least 38 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, pitting Hindus in Jammu against Muslims in the Kashmir Valley.

A BSNL spokesman in Jammu said that soon after the services were restored the first message the subscribers circulated was “Congratulations, SMS is back”.