In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.
On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.
In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.
In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.
In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.
"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi
Ram Krishnaswamy
Sydney, Australia.

Aadhaar

The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018

When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi

“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.

Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.

Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha

“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh

But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP

“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.

August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden

In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.

Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.

Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.

UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy

1) Denial

2) Issue fiats and point finger

3) Shoot messenger

4) Bury head in sand.

God Save India

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

10330 - PM says India won’t bow to terror, asks youth to shun violence - Tribune India

Aug 16, 2016, 1:09 PM (IST)


Modi addresses the nation on I-Day. PTI

New Delhi, August 15
Declaring that India would not bow before terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the youth who have taken to violence to join the mainstream even as he brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Baluchistan and PoK, saying they had thanked him for doing so.

Though Modi did not make any reference to the Kashmir valley which is witnessing violence after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, he accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan.

In his 93-minute Independence Day address to the nation amidst tight security, Modi said, “From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people--the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir--for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently.”

This is for the first time that the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech. The remarks also come in the backdrop of the recent comments by Modi during an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time had come to expose the atrocities committed “by our neighbouring nation” in Baluchistan and the areas of J&K under its occupation.

The Prime Minister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other’s country.

“When children were killed in a terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified,” Modi said.

Asserting that India would not yield to terrorism and violence, the Prime Minister asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to the youth of Kashmir.

“I am telling those youths that there is time left, come back and join the mainstream. Realise your parents’ aspirations. Lead a peaceful life. The path of violence has never benefited anyone,” he said.

Attired in his trademark half-sleeve kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government’s work, particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

During his address, the Prime Minister also made two announcements--an increase of 20 per cent in the pension of freedom fighters and that medical costs of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families would be borne by the government.

Modi, who has spoken out against atrocities on Dalits in the recent days, said a strong country could not be built without a strong society which is based on social justice. He advocated a “tough and sensitive” approach to tackle the age-old social evils, including casteism or untouchability.

Asserting that social harmony was the key to the nation’s progress, Modi said, “What Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Ramanujacharya, BR Ambedkar, all our scriptures, saints and teachers have stressed is social unity. When society breaks, the empire disintegrates. When a society is divided into touchables and untouchables; upper and lower (castes), then such a society cannot last.”

Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tried to adopt the strategy of “reform, perform and transform” while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self-governance to good governance is a resolve of the entire nation that would need sacrifices.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations. “When hope gives rise to expectations, it gives us energy to move faster towards good governance,” he added.

The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good health care to poor people and benefits to farmers. PTI