Indian Government: Big Brother Aadhaar

[rrss]

What started off as a voluntary scheme without parliament approval is now being made mandatory for the most basic of citizen's rights in India: Registering land, pensions, bank accounts, medical treatment, ration, claiming benefits/tax relief etc, still without any legislation (indeed, it was rejected by parliament standing committee and the Supreme Court has challenged this as being unconstitutional).

India's UID (Universal Identification) scheme, popularly known as 'Aadhaar' (entitlement) begun to roll out in 2010 on executive order, without parliament approval and with projected costs of billions of dollars (which will no doubt rise).

In November 2012, the Supreme Court, following a PIL (public interest litigation), challenged the federal government on the scheme on grounds of it violating constitutional freedoms and usurping parliament scrutiny.

Individual states and territories making the scheme compulsory for basic services also discriminates against those who would move often for work, the homeless/destitute and others who are unwilling to sign away their rights.

It is a shame that few in India are standing up against this gross violation of rights which could particularly be used to control and
harass minority communities- especially Sikhs, Muslims and civil rights activists. Indeed hidden away, one of the clauses, permits the scheme to utilise the biometric information "in the interests of national security"- cue controlling 'troublemakers'. Nothing has stopped the Government so far from false imprisonment, torture, murder, state-sponsored terrorism and indeed genocide. This scheme simply offers further them another tool to control and oppress and legalises it.

Similar biometric national ID schemes have failed proceed in the UK and other such nations, where it was stopped dead by fears of high cost and loss of privacy. Indeed the only countries with national biometric ID are undemocratic or corrupt despot nations eager to control and enslave, examples include Ghambia, Iraq etc. India joins such a league of nations. Yes, some hardcore developed nations have always wanted control of immigration and so have in the past decade introduced biometric passports but they are not mandatory for non travelling citizens and rights are typically greatly protected with much court and public scrutiny.

Indeed, one of the major 'benefits' of the scheme purported by the Indian Government is reducing corruption (supposedly by cutting out middle men)- but a competent expert will tell you- adding layers of control onto an inherently corrupt system combined with poor policy does more harm than good. Indeed there is only one reason why the Government chose to usurp parliamentary scrutiny and is avoiding a Supreme court notice- for as and when the scheme gains momentum and states begin to illegally make it compulsory, it would have passed the 'point of no return' thus making a likely future anti-constitutional ruling academic.

We sikhs have a duty to band together and protect against tyrants and oppressors. Educate yourself further about the subject and lobby both politically and through pressure groups to press for change- not just in beloved Punjab- this is a wide issue affecting weak and vulnerable at large. Stop the tyrants and stand united. At the grassroots you can boycott the scheme and stage protests outside enrolment centres and spread awareness amongst peers. Feel free to form groups on social sites and tweet, spread awareness through any and all means. At the national and international level you can form pressure groups and lobby for change.

Further reading:

https://www.eff.org/issues/national-ids

http://www.countercurrents.org/krishna210313.htm

http://kafila.org/2013/03/18/aadjaruid-is-against-equality-and-democracy-moiz-tundawala/