Agitation for Liberation
A biometric identity also known as Aadhaar card is similar to existing cards but will also contain biometric information such as photographs, all hand finger prints and images of the iris of the eye which are unique to each person. The data will be centrally stored on high capacity computer “Silas” in Delhi and information of all the cards will be available on the tip of finger. Those who rule will have access to this information on computer buttons and can be shared with surveillance agencies and business houses. Data from Voter’s card, MNERGA Job card, Driving license, PAN card, Passport, Ration card, BPL/APL/Antodya card are integrated on this card.
Advantages told by Indian Government agencies: (1) Needed to make poor visible. Cards will be used to provide service. (2) Cards will curb corruption in Public Distribution System (PDS) and National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
Disadvantages expected: (1) Tracking of individual becomes easy. Privacy is totally violated. Information is open for sharing (2) It will only guarantee identity; not rights, benefits, and entitlements. This negates the promotional talk of needing for service to the poor under various schemes. (3) Private Citizens information will be easily available to intelligence agencies such as NATGRID, IB, RAW as a result these cards will become the vehicle for the conspiracy for the suppression of traditional liberties of democratic self government. England, USA, Australia tried to enforce biometric cards but public protests forced governments to cancel it. (4) National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010 is still not passed in the Indian Parliament and in spite Biometric enrolment for National Population Register (NPR) is being carried out under Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules 2003. There is no privacy of information under this law as against the Census Act that declares in section 15 “not open to inspection nor admissible in evidence.” (5) Citizenship Rules 2003 classify every individual and every “head of the family” as an informant, who will be penalized if every person in the household is not in the NPR or if the information is outdated. (6) Number becomes source of identity; caste is not enumerated. This gives ruling Brahmins weapons to rule and exploit mulnivasis and their resources. (7) UID transforms citizen into resident. Person who enumerates decides on residency of a particular person. If recorded as not resident then person becomes Stateless.
In February 2009, the Unique Identification (UID) Number project was set up within planning commission of India. In July 2009 Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and sanctioned Rs 7 crores. In 2010 it was increased to 100 crores and in 2011 further hiked to 1,900 crores. Around 60 crores people in India are to be given UID. UIDAI does not make UID compulsory for citizens but goes about signing MoUs with different organizations like Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to be “registrars” who may insist that their customers enroll on UID to receive continued service. Goa Government was first State in India to sign this MoU on 22nd April 2010 in the presence of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. Kamat declared on July 15, 2011 that entire Goa will be covered under UID within four months; by mid-November 2011. 14 lakh people will be given UID number in 4 months.
UID is a conspiracy that is even dangerous than bomb blasts. This problem is of mulnivasi SC, ST, OBC and converted mulnivasi minorities in India. Nandan Nilekani is employed here as Kalam Kasai (slaughterer with pen) – an expression Jyotiba Phule used for Brahmins. According to Waman Meshram, “Now the question comes as to why our people must be subjected to surveillance. It is because those who rule us are not mulnivasis. Because of this ruling brahmanical caste is insecure as to what the mulnivasis are doing and planning against Brahmins. Because of this they want to collate all the private information to put our people under surveillance. Just like fish is caught through bait, UID cards is a bait of the ruling brahmanical caste to get access to the private information of the mulnivasi through computers stationed at a particular place without moving anywhere. This is a violation of fundamental rights. Ruling Brahmins have pushed 83 crore people below poverty line in hunger and semi-hunger. In future situation that is emerging is even more dangerous and to face it we do not have any option other than nation-wide mass movement.”
Oppose Biometric Cards! Don’t disclose private information! Delete collected biometric data! Scrap bio-metric card project!
Jai Bharat! Jai Mulnivasi!
A biometric identity also known as Aadhaar card is similar to existing cards but will also contain biometric information such as photographs, all hand finger prints and images of the iris of the eye which are unique to each person. The data will be centrally stored on high capacity computer “Silas” in Delhi and information of all the cards will be available on the tip of finger. Those who rule will have access to this information on computer buttons and can be shared with surveillance agencies and business houses. Data from Voter’s card, MNERGA Job card, Driving license, PAN card, Passport, Ration card, BPL/APL/Antodya card are integrated on this card.
Advantages told by Indian Government agencies: (1) Needed to make poor visible. Cards will be used to provide service. (2) Cards will curb corruption in Public Distribution System (PDS) and National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
Disadvantages expected: (1) Tracking of individual becomes easy. Privacy is totally violated. Information is open for sharing (2) It will only guarantee identity; not rights, benefits, and entitlements. This negates the promotional talk of needing for service to the poor under various schemes. (3) Private Citizens information will be easily available to intelligence agencies such as NATGRID, IB, RAW as a result these cards will become the vehicle for the conspiracy for the suppression of traditional liberties of democratic self government. England, USA, Australia tried to enforce biometric cards but public protests forced governments to cancel it. (4) National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010 is still not passed in the Indian Parliament and in spite Biometric enrolment for National Population Register (NPR) is being carried out under Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules 2003. There is no privacy of information under this law as against the Census Act that declares in section 15 “not open to inspection nor admissible in evidence.” (5) Citizenship Rules 2003 classify every individual and every “head of the family” as an informant, who will be penalized if every person in the household is not in the NPR or if the information is outdated. (6) Number becomes source of identity; caste is not enumerated. This gives ruling Brahmins weapons to rule and exploit mulnivasis and their resources. (7) UID transforms citizen into resident. Person who enumerates decides on residency of a particular person. If recorded as not resident then person becomes Stateless.
In February 2009, the Unique Identification (UID) Number project was set up within planning commission of India. In July 2009 Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and sanctioned Rs 7 crores. In 2010 it was increased to 100 crores and in 2011 further hiked to 1,900 crores. Around 60 crores people in India are to be given UID. UIDAI does not make UID compulsory for citizens but goes about signing MoUs with different organizations like Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to be “registrars” who may insist that their customers enroll on UID to receive continued service. Goa Government was first State in India to sign this MoU on 22nd April 2010 in the presence of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. Kamat declared on July 15, 2011 that entire Goa will be covered under UID within four months; by mid-November 2011. 14 lakh people will be given UID number in 4 months.
UID is a conspiracy that is even dangerous than bomb blasts. This problem is of mulnivasi SC, ST, OBC and converted mulnivasi minorities in India. Nandan Nilekani is employed here as Kalam Kasai (slaughterer with pen) – an expression Jyotiba Phule used for Brahmins. According to Waman Meshram, “Now the question comes as to why our people must be subjected to surveillance. It is because those who rule us are not mulnivasis. Because of this ruling brahmanical caste is insecure as to what the mulnivasis are doing and planning against Brahmins. Because of this they want to collate all the private information to put our people under surveillance. Just like fish is caught through bait, UID cards is a bait of the ruling brahmanical caste to get access to the private information of the mulnivasi through computers stationed at a particular place without moving anywhere. This is a violation of fundamental rights. Ruling Brahmins have pushed 83 crore people below poverty line in hunger and semi-hunger. In future situation that is emerging is even more dangerous and to face it we do not have any option other than nation-wide mass movement.”
Oppose Biometric Cards! Don’t disclose private information! Delete collected biometric data! Scrap bio-metric card project!
Jai Bharat! Jai Mulnivasi!
