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

Showing posts with label CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

9285 - Drive to link Aadhaar with NPR under way

KRISHNAGIRI, January 23, 2016

Drive to link Aadhaar with NPR under way

STAFF REPORTER

: The drive for linking of Aadhaar number with the National Population Registry (NPR) is currently under way in the district.

According to an administration release, data synchronisation of NPR with Aadhaar is being taken up by administration appointed data collectors, who will make door-to-door visits. Public is requested to verify if all the details recorded in the NPR are accurate; if the data of the deceased members has been removed from the NPR; if newborn members of a household have been included in the NPR. The work has been taken up under the Citizenship Act 1955, and the Citizenship rules, 2003 across the State.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

2592 - For Rights of Bengali Refugees

For Rights of Bengali Refugees Resolution

Adopted at the 20^th Congress of the CPI(M), Kozhikode, April 4-9, 2012

For Rights of Bengali Refugees

This Party Congress calls upon the Central Government to honour the assurance given by the Prime Minister to sympathetically consider the legitimate demand of the large numbers of Bengali refugees to recognize them as citizens of India.

They had fled their country erstwhile East Pakistan and then Bangladesh. A large number of these refugees belong to the Scheduled Castes, mainly namashudra communities and are living in different parts of the country.

This Party Congress recognizes that the heightened insecurity of these communities is because of their exclusion in the current Aadhar drive of citizen identification which makes them even more vulnerable.

At the time of the Parliament discussion on the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2003, all political parties from across the spectrum had supported an amendment to protect these citizens who are victims of historical circumstances. Yet even after so many years the law considers them illegal migrants. There are cases where they have been treated like criminals.

This Party Congress demands a suitable amendment in Clause 2 (i) (b) of the said Citizenship Act in relation to the Bangladesh minority community refugees. This must be done while protecting the Assam accord which is relevant to the specific situation in Assam. It demands that the Central Government bring such an amendment in the forthcoming budget session of Parliament. It assures these communities the support of the CPI (M) in their struggle for their genuine demands.

19 April 2012

2591 - CPI(M) writes to PM on Citizenship Act - The Hindu

CPI(M) writes to PM on Citizenship Act

NEW DELHI, May 25, 2012

Aarti Dhar

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has asked the government to amend the Citizenship Act, to provide Indian citizenship to a large number of refugees from Bangladesh, both before and after its formation.

It is said there had been a consensus in Parliament when the National Democratic Alliance was in power at the Centre.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat, has drawn attention towards “the citizenship problems of the large number of refugees from erstwhile East Bengal, and then even after the formation of Bangladesh, who had to flee their country in particular historic circumstances on which they had no control”.

He said their situation was “different from those who have come to India due to economic reasons”.

Reminding Dr. Singh of his speech in Parliament when he was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha during the NDA government that had brought the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2003, Mr. Karat quoted: “With regard to the treatment of refugees after the partition of our country, the minorities, in countries like Bangladesh, have faced persecution, and it is our moral duty that, if circumstances force people, these unfortunate people, to seek refuge in our country, the approach to granting citizenship to these unfortunate persons should be more liberal.”

Mr. Karat also quoted then Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani as saying “I am fully in agreement with the views expressed by the Leader of the Opposition.”

Mr. Karat said the issue of amending the Citizenship Act was still pending even after a decade, and, in the meanwhile, “the insecurity felt by the refugees is heightened”, as in the ongoing drive for Aadhar ID cards they were “excluded and considered illegal migrants facing the constant threat of deportation”.

Pointing out that lakhs of families, a majority of them from scheduled caste communities, were affected, he asked the Prime Minister to take urgent steps to amend the law, and bring relief to these unfortunate families living across India.

Friday, December 30, 2011

2157 - PRESS RELEASE - STANDING COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS INVITES SUGGESTIONS ON CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

STANDING COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS INVITES SUGGESTIONS ON CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2011

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011 as introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 8 December 2011 and pending therein, has been referred to Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, M.P. Rajya Sabha for examination and report. The Bill proposes for inserting suitable provisions in the Citizenship Act 1955 to remove certain lacunae that were noticed during its implementation and review of provisions relating to overseas citizen of India.

2. The Committee has decided to invite written memoranda from the public/stakeholders, on the Bill.

3. Those desirous of submitting written memoranda to the Committee, may send the same to Shri D. K. Mishra, Joint Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 142, First Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 {Tele: 23035410 (O) and 23012007 (fax)} indicating whether they would also be interested in giving oral evidence before the Committee, latest by 13^th January, 2012.

4. The memorandum which might be submitted to the Committee, would form part of its records and treated as confidential and, therefore, should not be printed, circulated or publicized by anyone, as such an act would constitute a breach of privilege of the Committee.

5. Individuals/stakeholders may obtain, on written request, a copy of the Bill, from Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Cabin ‘A’, Basement, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 (Telephone No. 011-23034034). The electronic text of the Bill can also be down loaded from the official website available on Rajya Sabha

Website www.rajyasabha.nic.in. ® Bills with Committees.

Website:- http://rajyasabha.nic.in

E-mail: rsc-ha@sansad.nic.in