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

Thursday, October 17, 2013

4847 - Why I will not Vote for Nandan Nilekani by Prateek

Interesting Blog article by Prateek

Why I will not Vote for Nandan Nilekani
http://indiawithme-prateek.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/why-i-will-not-vote-for-nandan-nilekani.html

Recently the National dailies were circulating a piece about the speculation of a stalwart from Information Technology, Mr. Nandan Nilekani, likely to contest in upcoming General Elections from South Bangalore seat. I being a resident and a registered voter of South Bangalore constituency chose to share my views on this new development.

The news seems to be great for the hope it might incur in a voter’s mind. It might seem to be the beginning of entry of urban educated middle class in politics. Interestingly, some have even gone as far to claim it to be a stepping stone to clean the Politics. But is it really so? I feel it is good that a person like Mr. Nilekani is entering politics. We need more like him. But by contesting elections from the side of a party ruled by dynasty he will end up diminishing the same values that he represents and have been a driving force for him on his journey from a normal middle-class boy to the legendry icon he is today. Wondering how?




“Values are supposed to define who you are” writes the legendary Jennifer Crusie in one of her books. So what does Mr. Nilekani’s values define about him? He rose up from being a normal techie in a software company in Bangalore to being one of the founding fathers of an IT giant INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES, which is acclaimed for putting India on the world stage in the field of IT. No doubts that he did it with his sheer hard-work, intelligence and the right attitude of building up an organization brick by brick with right people at the right place.




So then why will I not vote for Mr. Nandan Nilekani? It is because Mr. Nilekani, if decides to contest elections from Congress ticket, will end up adding fuel to fire to a dangerous trend of sycophancy that is preying on some of the best and well-educated intelligent minds of our country. An example of this disease engulfing our people was seen recently when Mr. Manmohan Singh - Prime Minister & ex-Finance Minister of second most populous country in the world, a University of Cambridge and University of Oxford graduate – praised a young member of Gandhi dynasty – who does not have any proven record of administration and even education – and even went as far to issue a certificate of eligibility to him for the post of PM (Read Here).


Seeing such educated minds letting themselves fall in the category of renowned sycophants as Khurshids and Digvijays (ironically they too are educated men) evokes a feeling of astonishment, shame and pity at the same time. One wonders what force or need is so strong that makes them shower such high praises and worship a person who has not shown any ability for even oratory let alone administration. One is compelled to think usefulness of such high education, numerous degrees & accolades from across the globe if such people are ready to sacrifice Nation’s interest by willing to give its baton in the hands of an inexperienced and undeserving man just because he has taken birth in a renowned dynasty family.


This is where I see Mr. Nilekani on the verge of falling. A corporate company, like the one he created, works on strict rules and policy of having the right talent and experience at the right designation within the organization. Young minds work hard, learn and rise up the ladder in Corporate world, of which Mr. Nilekani is an Icon for innumerable youths in this country. It would be a shame seeing Mr Nilekani – a person who instilled the value of hard work and ability in the organization he founded - praising the likes of Rahul Gandhi without any proof of their knowledge and experience in the field of administration. I wonder if he would have done something like this when he was in the process of cultivating values in INFOSYS.


I am an IT engineer myself and have seen Mr. Murthy and Mr. Nilekani with lot of respect all my years in this field (Read Here). How in the world can Mr. Nilekani explain turning into a sycophant after coming from a field that does not promote dynasty culture? How on earth can he clarify his turning into an advocate of inexperience and inability when in his own company he nurtures a culture of hard work, talent growth and accountability?


For those who think that this might be the right step and he would initiate the cleansing of politics that we desire my reply is simple. In Congress party whosoever has not bowed his or her head in front of the family has been thrown out or has been reduced to nothing better than non-existent. Thus, cleansing and sycophancy can never go hand in hand. One of them has to be given up and it won’t be sycophancy in case of Congress.


Anyways, there is still a lot of time left in General Elections. If, in the meanwhile, Mr. Nilekani decides to change sides and switch to any cadre based parties like AAP, BJP etc. then he might change my choice for Vote because then he will represent the same values that we all hail him for. I hope that happens for the good of the Nation.

Otherwise, if the start of a politician’s career is marked by discarding all the values that he has till now lived for and has preached all his life then I am not sure how much normal voters might be able to trust him for their future.




“If we keep treating our most important values as meaningless relics, that's exactly what they'll become”



Thanks,

Prateek


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