Nirad Mudur | Sunday, November 28, 2010
Often, projects initiated with well-meaning intentions fall victim to unfounded propaganda. The Unique Identification Number (UIDN) project under the supervision of former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani is one such.
If you scout Facebook, you will come across a closed group called “Say No To UID,” which has floated a preposterous theory that UIDN could lead to a Nazi-induced holocaust-like pogrom against the minorities in India.
The description of the group is as follows: “It appears that Nilekani… has misled the key functionaries of Government of India into believing that he is deeply concerned about reaching the poorest of the poor with a 16-digit card (4 numbers are hidden?) to liberate them from poverty.
If you scout Facebook, you will come across a closed group called “Say No To UID,” which has floated a preposterous theory that UIDN could lead to a Nazi-induced holocaust-like pogrom against the minorities in India.
The description of the group is as follows: “It appears that Nilekani… has misled the key functionaries of Government of India into believing that he is deeply concerned about reaching the poorest of the poor with a 16-digit card (4 numbers are hidden?) to liberate them from poverty.
This proposed UID legislation authorises the creation of a centralised database of unique identification numbers that will be issued to every resident of India but has failed to provide for provisions that precludes abuse of such a database for invading citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of choice by national and transnational corporations like Vedanta and IBM.”
“The legislation poses one of (the) gravest threat(s) imaginable as far as citizens’ right is concerned. It will damage citizens’ sovereignty beyond repair and has the potential to cause holocaust-like situation in future through profiling of minorities, political opponents and ethnic groups.”
Gopal Krishna, member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), says in a November 23-dated letter to Oscar Fernandes, chairperson, and members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources: “The UID scheme is an opposite of Right to Information. The latter makes the government transparent before their masters, the citizens. The former makes the citizens transparent before their servant, the government. It is a fascist plan.” The letter titled “Aadhaar Scheme Is Against Civil Liberties” was published on CounterCurrents.org.
The UIDN project was undertaken last year to ensure inclusive growth by providing a form of tamper-proof identity to people above 15 years of age so that the delivery of government programmes can be directed better, ensuring effective governance.
But what we have is anall-out attack on this project, the sole aim being to put a dead halt to it.
Gopal Krishna further says in his letter that citizens are “not gullible.” “They can see through the non-existence if any compelling and sane logic for (a) 16th document as an identity proof. Aren’t these pre-existing 15 identity proofs (based on which the government claims its legitimacy after democratic elections) sufficient!”
Firstly, the UIDN is NOT an identity proof. It is intended to facilitate any transaction between citizen and the government, based on the number which will not be duplicated with that of any other.
Besides, what is the guaranteed that the already existing 15 identity proofs (including voters’ identity card or ration card) mentioned by Gopal Krishna will not be tapped to identify minorities to launch a holocaust-like pogrom?
The social security numbers in USA and Australia, too, are similar concepts that have been well-taken by the citizens, based on which data is maintained on unemployment to offer dole money as support until one gets employed.
Has there been stereotyping and picking out people on religious, racial or caste lines to target minorities there?
Why just take Nazi Germany as an example despite knowing that the unfortunate chapter in world history was a result of a homogenous and a fanatical Nazi German — a situation that may never arise in a widely diverse India, US or Australia.
But yes, the government’s fault lies in not ensuring a series of open discussions on the project before launching it. The result is there for all to see — propaganda based on suspicion and half-knowledge.
“The legislation poses one of (the) gravest threat(s) imaginable as far as citizens’ right is concerned. It will damage citizens’ sovereignty beyond repair and has the potential to cause holocaust-like situation in future through profiling of minorities, political opponents and ethnic groups.”
Gopal Krishna, member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), says in a November 23-dated letter to Oscar Fernandes, chairperson, and members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources: “The UID scheme is an opposite of Right to Information. The latter makes the government transparent before their masters, the citizens. The former makes the citizens transparent before their servant, the government. It is a fascist plan.” The letter titled “Aadhaar Scheme Is Against Civil Liberties” was published on CounterCurrents.org.
The UIDN project was undertaken last year to ensure inclusive growth by providing a form of tamper-proof identity to people above 15 years of age so that the delivery of government programmes can be directed better, ensuring effective governance.
But what we have is anall-out attack on this project, the sole aim being to put a dead halt to it.
Gopal Krishna further says in his letter that citizens are “not gullible.” “They can see through the non-existence if any compelling and sane logic for (a) 16th document as an identity proof. Aren’t these pre-existing 15 identity proofs (based on which the government claims its legitimacy after democratic elections) sufficient!”
Firstly, the UIDN is NOT an identity proof. It is intended to facilitate any transaction between citizen and the government, based on the number which will not be duplicated with that of any other.
Besides, what is the guaranteed that the already existing 15 identity proofs (including voters’ identity card or ration card) mentioned by Gopal Krishna will not be tapped to identify minorities to launch a holocaust-like pogrom?
The social security numbers in USA and Australia, too, are similar concepts that have been well-taken by the citizens, based on which data is maintained on unemployment to offer dole money as support until one gets employed.
Has there been stereotyping and picking out people on religious, racial or caste lines to target minorities there?
Why just take Nazi Germany as an example despite knowing that the unfortunate chapter in world history was a result of a homogenous and a fanatical Nazi German — a situation that may never arise in a widely diverse India, US or Australia.
But yes, the government’s fault lies in not ensuring a series of open discussions on the project before launching it. The result is there for all to see — propaganda based on suspicion and half-knowledge.
