After weeks and months of political uncertainty amid an unprecedented security clampdown, violence-wary Kashmir seems to be gradually moving towards normalcy. A process for easing up of restrictions that began with the restoration of landline phones has been taken to another level with the announcement of gradual restoration of mobile telecom services in Kashmir. If all goes well, all postpaid mobile connections will start buzzing from Monday. This is a major confidence building measure for people whose familial and social bonds were strained under the dark blanket of telecom shutdown following the Centre’s August 5 move on Jammu and Kashmir. Having remained cut off from friends and relatives for third month now, it will indeed be a moment of joy when mobile phones start buzzing from Monday afternoon onwards. There is no doubt that the suspension of mobile phone networks has taken a huge toll not just on the private sector but even the government’s day-to-day functioning, particularly in health and education departments, has suffered badly. In one instance, a boy bitten by a snake in days following the Article 370 abrogation couldn’t get antidote in time because of communication blockade and died after struggling for life for two days at Srinagar’s Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. In absence of any connectivity, students also have suffered a great deal. Besides being unable to procure study material from internet, they couldn’t even stay in touch with their teachers, turning their academic pursuits upside down. Now that the process for restoration of mobile phone service has started, it will bring great relief for people. Besides postpaid, the pre-paid mobile connections should also be restored at the earliest so that those who don’t have the luxury of affording a postpaid connection are not left out in the process of building confidence in Kashmir. Most importantly, the state administration as well as the union home ministry must give fresh thought to the restoration of broadband service in Kashmir. Since August 5, the situation hasn’t shown any inclination of going out of control. Maintaining the internet shutdown in Kashmir for over two months now has come at a great diplomatic cost. As the recent UNGA session showed, the internet shutdown has provided some countries with the ammunition for projecting New Delhi’s ‘bold move’ on J&K in a bad light. Broadband services must be restored in Kashmir at the earliest so that the gradual coming of normalcy will also shut the mouths of those who are intent on internationalizing the Kashmir issue.