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, October 13, 2010

710 - Ranjana, the UID of Aadhaar - Deccan Herald



Scheme launched from Maharashtra tribal village
Ranjana, the UID of Aadhaar
Parag Rabade at Tembhali

The card will enable her and many other poor to get their entitlements 



 
Not many had heard of Tembhali till September 29, when the tiny village in Nandurbar district in north Maharashtra, bordering Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat entered the books of history as the launch pad of the prestigious unique identification number (UID). The UIDAI aims to provide Indian residents with an unique 12-digit identification number that will serve multiple purposes.

While the1,098 residents of Tembhali were unclear about why their village was receiving a makeover, they were not complaining about it. Roads were freshly asphalted, buildings now have a fresh coat of paint, and water pumps were suddenly working, all in just 10 days. The residents were virtually clueless about what was happening in the village as the officials scurried about to arrange the function. Only on the D-Day, hours before the event, were they told that some of them would be getting Aadhar cards. 

 On hand to give away UID or Aadhar cards to a select group of people were Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President and United Progressive Alliance Chairman Sonia Gandhi. The choice of Tembhali for launching the programme
perhaps lies in Sonia Gandhi launching her political career from the district a dozen years ago.

A mother-son duo of this village was among the first residents of the country to get the Unique Identification Number. Ranjana Sonawane (31) has got her UID no 7824 7431 7884, while her five-year old son Hitesh has been assigned UID No 6055 8059 8615.
When her name was called out to collect the card, an overawed Ranjana was too scared to climb the rostrum to collect the card with the august gathering on the dais and thousands in front, who had gathered. Besides, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra Governor Shankarnarayanan, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and the UID project chief Nilekani were waiting to greet her. Finally, the woman, who along with her husband works as casual workers construction sites and on farm, mustered courage to collect the card from the Prime Minister. 

She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that a day will come when she will be invited to stand along side the prime minister to pose for a photograph. A confused Ranjana touched feet of both Singh and Sonia Gandhi, before leaving the platform.

Her son, Hitesh was too young to enjoy the limelight and was dumbfounded by what was happening around him. Just five, he was a picture of confidence. He was the darling of TV crews and lensmen. He was, it was clear, tutored by the local Congressmen. Without even realising what he was doing, he parroted: “I am grateful to Soniaji for giving me this card.”

The mother and son could well become the face of UID project, much like Kalawati, the farm widow had became the face of Vidarbha after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi met her during his visit. Whether the Congress reaps the dividends of the programme or not, the poor will. Take the case of teenaged tribal Bhuri Rohidas Mali, who had made many visits to a bank to open an account, without success. The bank insisted on proof of identify. The officials were not ready to accept her family’s ration card as there have been a large number of bogus cards in the area. But, now Bhuri can open the account with her UID number 2955 7714 7966.
 
 
 
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