Justice. V R Krishna Iyer Releases a book against Aadhaar
Former Supreme Court judge Hon”ble Justice V R Krishna Iyer here released a book “AADHAAR; How a Nation is Deceived” on 3rd Nov 2011, Thursday, 4PM at his residence by handing over the first copy to Adv. Sebastian Paul, ex-MP. The book authored by Sri. Jijeesh P B, executive member of the socio-environmental organisation Greenpeople is a devastating critique of the Unique ID project of the government of India, pet named Aadhaar. Speaking on the occasion Justice V R Krishna Iyer said that “the project AADHAAR should not be implemented for it amounts to an assault on privacy and basic rights of individuals and is suited only for fascist nations.
Former Supreme Court judge Hon”ble Justice V R Krishna Iyer here released a book “AADHAAR; How a Nation is Deceived” on 3rd Nov 2011, Thursday, 4PM at his residence by handing over the first copy to Adv. Sebastian Paul, ex-MP. The book authored by Sri. Jijeesh P B, executive member of the socio-environmental organisation Greenpeople is a devastating critique of the Unique ID project of the government of India, pet named Aadhaar. Speaking on the occasion Justice V R Krishna Iyer said that “the project AADHAAR should not be implemented for it amounts to an assault on privacy and basic rights of individuals and is suited only for fascist nations.
Every individual has some secrets to keep and personal informations should not be made a public property”. Adv. Sebastian Paul, ex MP, said that the project leaves innumerable questions unanswered and a informed debate inside and outside the parliament is urgently required. The book comes with an insightful Foreword by Dr. Usha Ramanathan, renowned scholar and independent researcher in jurisprudence of law, poverty and rights and the South Asia Editor of the Law, Environment and Development Journal (LEAD Journal). The book is published by Greenpeople.
The Rs. 1,50,000crore project envisaged to issue a 12 digit Unique ID number to each and every resident in India, as an antidote to the corruption and leakage that is endemic to our system of service delivery, was rolled out without any prior-launching studies or cost-benefit analysis. The project was launched without legal backing and the parliament is yet to pass a law in this regard. In the mean while 2 years has passed and the UIDAI is enrolling people and collecting data including biometric information (ten finger prints, Iris scans and photograph) and entering into contracts with even foreign firms notorious for their proximity to the CIA and Homeland Security without a legal framework to protect the privacy and rights of the individuals concerned and secure storage of data.
The Rs. 1,50,000crore project envisaged to issue a 12 digit Unique ID number to each and every resident in India, as an antidote to the corruption and leakage that is endemic to our system of service delivery, was rolled out without any prior-launching studies or cost-benefit analysis. The project was launched without legal backing and the parliament is yet to pass a law in this regard. In the mean while 2 years has passed and the UIDAI is enrolling people and collecting data including biometric information (ten finger prints, Iris scans and photograph) and entering into contracts with even foreign firms notorious for their proximity to the CIA and Homeland Security without a legal framework to protect the privacy and rights of the individuals concerned and secure storage of data.
Moreover globally, the science of ‘biometrics’ is being questioned and most of the countries in the world are abandoning similar projects (including the US, UK, France, Canada and China). The global biometric industry which is gradually losing business are eyeing on the Indian market.
And with a technocrat at the helm of the UIDAI (with cabinet rank!) the project is on a roll. That every resident should be transparent to the state is an anti-democratic idea, but the common reach of technology, and the corporatizing of public programming, has together lulled populations into an unsuspecting complaisance. There seldom had any informed public debate or media coverage on the subject.
As Dr. Usha Ramanathan says in the Foreword “Young Jijeesh’s effort at taking on the UID project is of enormous importance. It is timely, and if it breaks through the walls of silence that the Mr Nandan Nilekani has worked to erect, it will have done our democracy a good turn. There are many questions that many of us have been asking which lie unanswered in the cupboards of callousness and unresponsiveness that has become state practice. Jijeesh’s is the voice of a concerned youth who is irked into independent speech by the arrogance of the project. More power to him”.
Speaking at the function Sri Kadathy Shaji, well known writer and joint secretary of Greenpeople, said that the state should not be allowed to open a file on each and every citizen of the country.
The programme held at Sadgamaya was attended by Sri. Azees Kunnappilly, President Greenpeople, Adv. Aby Pukkunel, Secretary, Greenpeople, Sri. Kadathy Shaji, Dr. Sreedhar Koothattukulam, Sri. Jayan P A, Sri. Akhilesh P J, Sri. Manoj S Nair, Sri. Deepu AS, Smt. Sunitha M Vijayan, Sri. Dineesh, Sri. Denit P Kurian and Sri. Sreejith, all executive members, Greenpeople.
Greenpeople
3rd Nov 2011
greenpeople.greenpeople@gmail.com
9895114134
Greenpeople
3rd Nov 2011
greenpeople.greenpeople@gmail.com
9895114134