5 essential tips to survive an Internet Shutdown

Of the many experiences that I have gathered in this lifetime, perhaps the most humbling one happened just a couple of days back. It all started with the agitation over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the latest bouncer inflicted on us Indians. The protest grew from strength to strength with each passing day but it was at its strongest at Assam, where people took to the streets to express their dissent. One thing led to another and soon life came to a standstill.

While the agitation continued outside, we stayed careful, avoiding the National Highways and rationing our supplies prudently. Shops remained closed, markets were deserted and people did not venture outside unless absolutely necessary. Thankfully, there were no violent incidents in and around the small municipal town I currently reside in, with residents maintaining peace and religious harmony despite the many provocations. However, the protests continue to rise and threatened to gather pace. The authorities struggled to contain the growing discontent and soon opted for the latest fail-safe option in our “new” India – block the internet.

For someone who thrives on sports articles, reading and writing them throughout the day, it was a bolt from the blue. It came into force in the middle of one afternoon without any prior warning. I had worked on an article for a sports website and was looking forward to adding the finishing touches to the piece later in the day. Imagine my surprise when all of a sudden, I was locked out of the world.

For the next few days, I learned the essence of the internet in my daily life and realized how lucky we previously were to have unrestricted access to the internet. With every step in my life, I realized that this new era of digital India had actually crippled us and made us slaves to the World Wide Web. No social media, no assistance from Google, no online transaction, no window shopping, no meaningless surfing through the English Premier League table and dreaming of how Manchester United could finally make it to the top four. It was as if I was in the medieval age and might as well be making a fire in the evening using two stones!

We spent 9 days as a digital prisoner, but it felt like a lifetime. Thankfully, the broadband service at work was resumed on the 4^th day, which led to a strange routine. Every morning, our phones filled up with notifications and we played catch up to the rest of the country. It was a surreal experience! I attempted to write in the evenings and publish it during the day. It did not always work. We synchronized our routines with this 9-5 luxury that tempted us to return late from work and reach office in time.

In the end, with a little intervention from the Guwahati High Court, the authorities decided that we had been punished enough and internet services resumed one fine morning. After I had satisfied all my cravings for the internet and had returned to my normal, sane, self, I realized that it was a time to rejoice. I had actually survived an Internet Blackout! 

I immediately had an urge to use my survival instincts for the greater good and help my fellow Indian citizens out as well. Because frankly, what happened to me is going to happen to you too, it is just a matter of time. With the next hiccup on the road, the authorities will be hitting the kill switch on the internet services again, only this time, we shall be ready. This is why, today, I bring you 4 life-saving tips on how to survive an Internet blackout!

#5 Preserve cash

Before we start, let me say that saving too much cash could put you under heavy water in the case of Demonetization 2.0. Thanks to the digital India drive, most of us have forgotten to use cash. We have a habit of paying through UPIs and Bank Apps. When that doesn’t work, all it takes is a swipe of the debit card. Well, bad news. None of that will work during the Internet blackout.

Because things were looking bleak, I decided to buy a few essential items at the local departmental store on the first day of the blackout. At the checkout counter, I smartly handed over my card. “Sorry, Sir,” the cashier lady said, “our swipe machines are not working due to the blackout.” Well, no wonder!

At around the same time, with the intention of filling up my bike, I visited the local petrol pump. As the operated filling up Intrepido’s petrol tank, I opened up my purse and proceeded to take out my debit card. The operator glared at me as he caught sight of my red-colored debit card. Right, I said in my head, cash it is, again.

Having used up most of the cash at my disposal, I proceeded to the nearest ATM machine to keep some in my contingency fund. Sadly, during the internet blackout, finding an ATM machine that works is a hectic job. Thankfully, I survived a few days without too much trouble. Maybe I traded my study table for a sack of rice. Good old barter system. You shall never know. Point is, during the internet blackout, cash is a precious commodity. Use it wisely. And seal your credit/debit cards and put them in the locker.

#4 Ration your supplies well

Ordering baby diapers from the online site? Or opting for groceries from the app? Well, forget it. Nothing works without the internet. You have no access to the outer world, so you must make do with the things at hand. Prepare yourself for a few days of hardship, and ensure that you have enough food stock at home. Because the internet blackout is like the last line of defense (or the first line of offense?) right now.

So, by the time the authorities decide to cut off your internet services, the shops and stores will mostly have their shutters down for good. There will be a rush at the handful of shops that are brave enough to do business. Also, the local market will have sky-high prices. Be prepared to buy potatoes for the price of chicken, true story.

The authorities were kind enough to cut the internet only after most of us had completed our monthly grocery shopping. We had swiped our cards and flinched our muscles at the cash counter oblivious to the fact that pretty soon our shoulders would shrink in dismay. The problem arose while procuring fresh supplies. Vegetable vendors were mostly closed, fish markets were vacant and even my trusted local chicken shop had his shutter down. “Prepare for alu siddho Bhat(rice with boiled potato), Dada” the boy advised me, seated on the veranda of his shop. “Where do I get the alu(potato) for the alu siddho bhat, my friend? The market’s empty!”

Thankfully, it did not go to the extremes. The small-town folks with hearts of gold ensured that no one went hungry. I did have alu siddho bhat for breakfast one morning, but that was by choice. Because alu siddho bhat is love.

#3 Store plenty of movies/tv series on your Hard Disk Drive

No Netflix to munch on at the end of the day! Now that could be a really scary thought for some people. Even though I am not addicted to the latest medium of entertainment, I watched my colleagues suffer. “What will I do tonight, Deepungsu?” One of them asked me. “Read a book, maybe?” He gave me a blank, expressionless look, before murmuring, “Maybe I will sleep tonight.”

Catching up on lost sleep is a good idea, but in the long run, it is wise to ensure you have the choicest collection of movies and mini-series on your Hard Disk. Maybe keep a few unwatched ones just for the apocalypse. Hooked to the online music apps? The internet blackout might not be “music to your ears” unless you have robust offline content available.

Also, without the internet, you can forget about churning up those magical dishes in the kitchen, with a wee bit of a helping hand from Youtube. Ideally, it will also be wise to keep your favorite recipes downloaded and available offline, so you can plate a near-perfect chicken changezy on a Sunday noon, followed by a less than perfect fruit sponge cake in the afternoon. But the biggest contribution of the internet blackout occurred deep within the confinements of our homes.

All of a sudden, we had heated arguments during the evening thanks to the blackout. “It’s my turn to watch the tv” –  Everyone shouted around the neighborhood. I might or might not have been among them. Unfortunately, my TV privileges are limited on a weekday, because I need the idiot box all for myself on weekends to gorge on all the football action. However, I did catch up on lost reading time during these 5 days. I might even have started writing this article for the blog, just to make up for the fact that I was unable to write my sports articles.

#2 Pay your bills on time

With the internet services suspended, you might have to actually walk to the office to pay your bills, be it electricity or mobile bills. You won’t be able to recharge your phone from your chair, because the UPI services won’t work. This is why it is important to develop a practice of paying your bills on time and not waiting until the last day. For your perusal, I furnish a leaf out of my own book of experiences.

I had been informed a week earlier that my DTH service payment was due. However, as always, I let it run until the final day. Unfortunately, that was the day they pulled the plug on the internet. I was at my wit’s end. No internet, no reading articles online, no writing articles, no online movies, no hotstar, we could survive. But a morning without Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol could put my house on fire.

I shuddered at work, as I imagined little Messi pestering me for his favorite programs. Just then, someone at work reminded me that the internet blackout was only restricted to the state of Assam. Ask one of your relatives to recharge your TV for you.

A brainwave, perhaps a Eureka moment in the making, but I was too worried to run around. I called up my cousin and stated my predicament. Thankfully, the mornings stayed peaceful and pleasant.

This internet blackout helped me realize how important it is to pay your bills on time. And also ensure your cousins always have your back.

#1 Get a life outside the world wide web

The most important way to survive the internet blackout is by having a life outside the World Wide Web. The moment the authorities thrust this restriction on our phones, I panicked. I thought of all the trouble I would have without the internet at my fingertips. I imagined my evenings ruined, I felt frustrated just at thought of not being able to post sports articles. I was worried sick I would lose my touch with the pen. What happened, though, was just the opposite.

I came home staring into the oblivion and was greeted by a hyperactive Messi, who had been waiting for me to return from work. Like my daily routine, I spent much of the evening playing with him. No amount of internet blockage could ruin that for me. The phone stayed down, the lack of social media did not have too much of an impact.

Later in the evening, instead of spending my usual time on sports articles, I pondered around on pieces that did not require assistance from the web but could be written from the heart. This piece might or might not have been among them. I missed writing articles after the Manchester United games but was thankful that United did not drop points. I read a few books, I worked on a couple of other hobbies and realized that there is quite the life without the World Wide Web. We are so engrossed in the web and its paraphernalia that we refuse to acknowledge it.

So my biggest tip to survive the internet blackout is having people in your life who love and care about you. I talked to my friends, I spent time with my family and found that life was normal.

So prepare yourself. Get out. Get a life. Keep making lemonades out of lemons. In fact, don’t stop at lemonades, make lemon tarts and some pickle too. And keep smiling.