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

Friday, August 5, 2016

10264 - Centre destroying federalism: Mamata - Statesman


Centre destroying federalism: Mamata
IANS
| Kolkata | 21 July, 2016

Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/bengal/centre-destroying-federalism-mamata/155489.html#Pgm2wFzqhzoMiRtE.99

Accusing the Centre of destroying federalism and pushing the states towards destruction, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for development carried out by her government.
Addressing a mammoth rally in the city, the Trinamool Congress supremo also accused the Modi government of unleashing central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Department (ED) that, she said, led to over 80,000 industrialists leaving the country.

"The Centre is interfering in everything. It is destroying the federal structure. We too are an elected government and the Constitution has specified both the Centre and the state's roles. But they are interfering in our working and constantly threatening us," Banerje said.

"Because of the Centre's erroneous polices, the states have been pushed towards destruction. The Centre must remember that it is because of the states that the Centre is existing," said Banerjee.

Taking a jibe at Modi's pet schemes, including the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign, the Trinamool chief claimed that funding for most of the central schemes has either been stopped or the state's responsibilities increased.

"They (Centre) are doing nothing, but taking credit for everything through advertisements. It is the state government which is carrying out development, but the entire credit is going to Modi," Banerjee said.

"Modi keeps talking about 'Swachh Bharat', but where is the cleanliness? The cleanliness is only in the advertisements. When it comes to actual work, it is Bengal. Four of our districts are leading the country in cleanliness," she said.

"Their MPs are adopting only a few villages under the Adarsh Gram Yojana, but it is being projected as if they have adopted all the villages. This is nothing but fooling the people," said Banerjee.

She also said that funds for at least 39 central schemes have been stopped while in 59 other schemes, the state's contribution has been enhanced from 10 to 90 per cent.

"The Centre is not consulting us and preparing the schemes whimsically. In most of the schemes the state had to contribute just 10 per cent funds, this has now been enhanced to 90 per cent," she said.

The Chief Minister also expressed her displeasure over the Centre's decision to make Aadhaar cards compulsory for certain formalities.

"At least 800 villages in Bengal don't have banks. Over one crore people in Bengal don't have Aadhaar cards. How can they make it compulsory -- one crore people in Bengal will not get pensions, subsidies or scholarship. Let them first set up banks and talk big," she said.

She said that 80,000 industrialist have been compelled to leave the country due to hounding by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

"I am saying this on record. If you don't believe me, go to the various embassies and find out. There you will realise that no black money came to India, rather it's the white money that has left the country," added Banerjee.


Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/bengal/centre-destroying-federalism-mamata/155489.html#Pgm2wFzqhzoMiRtE.99
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