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 25, 2017

11867 - Konyak Union against making Aadhaar mandatory - Eastern Mirror Nagaland



By EMN  /  August 24, 2017  /  Comments Off on Konyak Union against making Aadhaar mandatory
Dimapur, August 14 (EMN): The Konyak Union has on Thursday severely criticised making Aadhaar card mandatory and that it will not allow any ‘institution to make it mandatory under its jurisdiction’ stating that it should be voluntary since it infringes on an individual’s privacy and also ‘intrudes’ on human dignity.

” The Konyak Union also direct that no institution within Konyak jurisdiction can enforce Aadhaar card as mandatory,” stated the press statement from Konyak union.
The statement also comes in the backdrop of the recent demand by security forces to produce Aadhaar cards to cross the border into Mon district for Konyak Nagas from beyond the border with Myanmar who had come to procure essential commodities.
The union while lamenting the existence of imaginary lines that has divided the Konyak into “international halves” the union stated that such restriction on non possession of Aadhaar cards should not be repeated or be imposed within its jurisdiction.
The union also cited the Supreme Court order that the Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary and it cannot be made mandatory till the matter is finally decided by the court which need to be upheld.
The union questioned if Aadhaar can discipline the “sovereignty of the Nation”, when the sole purpose of Aadhaar card is to “ascertain/legitimise” the actual beneficiary for direct benefit transfer.
So it has got nothing to do in “disciplining the citizen” moreover when such numbers are provided to “any immigrants randomly”.
The union also appealed to the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council to be “cautious” and rethink on the ” issuance of the unique identity number based on the biblical context ” although the core objective of the Aadhaar card is ” simply to avail services and benefits “. ” The concept of a Direct benefit transfer is applaud able but practically not possible as it requires time, ” it stated.
The union stated that Nagas cannot “go in parallel with the mainland Indians” and that the Konyak public in particular and the Nagas in general should not be ” victimised on such hurried & rush policy “.
The Konyak Union is also of the opinion that the “Aadhaar policy invades our Right to privacy” and added “Such policy intrudes our human dignity, privacy & rights”.
It also added the Nagaland government should conduct thorough research on its implication upon the Naga rights, custom, norms and practices keeping in view that it the policy is yet to be cleared by a constitutional bench.
The unions also reminded the government about Article 371(A) that provides special provisions for Nagaland and questioned the state Government how Aadhaar card policy was readily accepted.
“Interestingly & surprisingly, Aadhar card had not been imposed in the state of Assam. Nagaland Government may instead have its separate Naga identification code if at all it has to link with its beneficiaries in availing welfare scheme”. it further stated.
The apex union of the Konyaks also appealed “Naga scholars, lawyers, intellectuals & politician” to seriously ponder upon the unique identity numbers and its implication upon our Naga society and aspiration. It stated ,”Our dream for self determination is at stake”.