We believe that the Aadhaar (UID) and National Population Register (NPR) for Multipurpose National Identity Cards (MNIC) heralds the emergence of a surveillance state and goes against the very grain of the largest democracy in the world.

We underline several of the intimidative aspects of the currentUID/Aadhaar/NPR/MNIC initiative.

Firstly, Aadhaar was billed as a totally voluntary provision. But it has ceased to be anything but voluntary. Today we confront the fact that whether we want to buy a cooking gas or purchase our PDS grains, Aadhaar becomes the basis for us to access them. If we are to work
under the NREGA scheme as wage labour, we have to prove our identity through Aadhaar. All other state provided identity proofs such as our
Voter Cards, Ration Cards, Passport, Driving License etc become null and void and Aadhaar becomes the overriding identity proof for all of
us. This is an insult to the very state which gave us all these other identities and to the citizens who have been using them.

Secondly Aadhaar is based on biometric and retinal profile procured from people. This is the most repulsive aspect of UID/Aadhaar project.
Any biometric profile directly violates the very dignity and privacy of Indian citizens which is guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. What is normally used for terrorists and criminals is now sought to be used against the common citizens of this country. Does it mean that the state has lost confidence in its people and wants a criminal profile of all its citizens? Can there be a more shameful aspect of the state intrusion into individual privacy?

We recall here the protest of Mahatma Gandhi against identification based on biometric data in his days of struggle in South Africa as far
back as the early part of last century. We also take into cognizance the statement of concern on Unique Identity (UID) Number/Aadhaar
Number project and its inter-linkages with the proposed legislations and institutional machinery expressed by several eminent citizens led by former Supreme Court Justice V R Krishna Iyer. We have taken into consideration the National Identification Authority of India

Bill, 2010, World Bank’s Transformational Government Initiative, the Legal Notice issued to Unique Identification Authority of India and the Planning Commission, Supreme Court’s judgement in Ram Jethmalani vs Union of India dated July 4, 2011 upholding Right to Privacy as
Right to Life. We have studied of a similar project in countries like the UK and its abandonment be their governments in the face of immense pressure from their citizens. In consonance with all these concerns we
join the appeal to the residents and citizens of Bihar to boycott the UID Number project. Our specific objections and demands are listed
below:

• Parliamentary Committee on Finance has held that UID project is against all accepted norms of Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India;

• UID Number project is in violation of Right to Life and Personal
Liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India;

• The collection of sensitive biometric and personal data of the citizens of India by a number of private organizations is an assault
on civil liberty and must be immediately halted;

• The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Bihar Government with the UID Authority had no prior consultation with the citizens of Bihar
and was done in the most non transparent manner. This must be immediately cancelled;

• UIDAI must also cancel the MoUs it has entered with all other government agencies besides the contracts that has been entered into and the appointments of companies, societies, trusts and organizations as Registrars for UID/Aadhaar Number Project;

• We are alarmed that UIDAI has entered into contracts with companies like Accenture and L 1 Identity Solutions, companies that are providing similar services to US Department of Defense and Intelligence. This has dangerous possibilities;

• The UID/Aadhaar/NPR/MNIC projects do not have any constitutional, legal or democratic basis. Therefore, we appeal to all citizens of
Bihar and India to join civil disobedience movement against the Unique Identification/ Aadhaar Number project and protect individual liberty and dignity of the citizens of this country.

The statement was issued by Gopal Krishna, Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties, on the behalf of citizens groups.

Comment

comments...

This is an extremely absurd article published by Bihartimes. We are looting the state using different identity cards. Can you assure that money spent on PDS system, subsidies and NREGA scheme goes to the deserving citizen? If we were able to assist needy citizen right from independence, we could have eliminated poverty from our country. Sadly we did not allow to happen as it serves our purpose of exploiting poor citizen.

Have you been to foreign country like US? They take our finger print and keep it record. We do not object and happy offer our hand to them for taking finger print. If all of you who oppose this move declare that you will not allow anyone to take you private data like finger print, biometric information be it US immigration office or any other agency, I will support you for this movement. Otherwise do not become selective in your choice.

UID is the last hope for poor citizen to get the due. If it fails, India will fail. You cannot keep millions poor and select few who oppose cannot enjoy the life of luxury. At the end, I would like to ask, “ did you come across any corruption cases where poor citizen orchestrated it”? It’s all done by educated class. So if we are losing little bit if privacy, so be it! It’s the price for our mischief.

Jeetendra Kumar Singh

Chapra, Bihar