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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Chidambaram defended CIA NATO surveillance UID using Interim budget which is contempt of court misusing immunity in the Parliament and misled the house as well as the Nation. Aadhaar is an assault on democratic rights

Chidambaram defended CIA NATO surveillance UID using Interim budget which is contempt of court misusing immunity in the Parliament and misled the house as well as the Nation.



Aadhaar is an assault on democratic rights

Palash Biswas


Attempts are underway to make this 'online" demographic and biometric database cloud irreversible and ubiquitous so that it can be the cow, which can be milked until the sun sets on national and transnational patrons of Congressmen, their acolytes and outsourcing companies. Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) has been campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010 and has petitioned and given testimonies and written submission to parliamentary committees and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this regard.


We should stand with Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) .


Chidambaram defended CIA NATO surveillance UID using Interim budget which is contempt of court misusing immunity in the Parliament and misled the house as well as the Nation.

यहीं नहीं,अपने अंतरिम बजट में वित्तमंत्री चिदंबरम ने जिस अंसवैधानिक गैरकानूनी राष्ट्रविरोधी नागरिकों की खुफिया निगरानी की कारपोरेट योजना से इंफोसिस नंदन निलेकणि के जरिये इंफोसिस को लगातार मार्केट लीडर बनाने का ही काम हुआ, उसके बचाव में बाकायदा सुप्रीम कोर्ट की अवमानना संसदीय विशेषाधिकार की आड़ में पेशेवर वकील चिदंबरम ने कर दी।अपनी इस वकालत में नकद सब्सिडी और जरुरी सेवाओं से आधार को लिंक करने पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट की निषेधाज्ञा के बावजूद उन्होंने गरीबों के हितों का हवाला देकर डिजिटल बायोमेट्रिक रोबोटिक खुफिया निगरानी को जयाज बताने का काम करके सुप्रीम कोर्ट की अवमानना करते हुए संसद और देश को गुमराह किया।


केंद्रीय वित्त मंत्री पी चिदंबरम ने सोमवार को कहा कि आधार योजना के तहत 57 करोड़ नंबर जारी किए गए हैं और सरकार इसके कार्यान्वयन के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है।


वित्तमंत्री पी. चिदंबरम ने सोमवार को कहा कि यूनीक पहचान नंबर 'आधार' सशक्तीकरण का हथियार है।इसके विपरीत,हर नागरिक पहचान देने वाला आधार कार्ड बनवाना अब अनिवार्य नहीं है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने अपने एक फैसले में कहा है कि आवश्यक सेवाओं जैसे एलपीजी कनेक्शन, टेलिफोन वगैरह के लिए आधार कार्ड अनिवार्य नहीं है। साथ ही यह भी कहा कि आधार कार्ड बनाने का फैसला लोगों की इच्छा पर है।


सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने यह निर्देश एक जनहित याचिका की सुनवाई के दौरान दिया। पहले कई चीजों के लिए आधार कार्ड का होना जरूरी था, जिससे जिनके पास आधार कार्ड नहीं था उन्हें परेशानी हो रही थी। हालांकि, सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों को यह भी निर्देश दिया है कि इस बात का ध्यान रखा जाए कि किसी भी अवैध नागरिक का आधार कार्ड न बने।


दरअसल पहले खबरें थीं कि रसोई गैस पर दी जाने वाली सब्सिडी आधार कार्ड से जुड़े आपके बैंक अकाउंट में आएगी। सब्सिडी की राशि तभी अकाउंट में आएगी, जब आपने आधार कार्ड बनवाकर अपने बैंक अकाउंट से उसे लिंक कराया होगा। यह भी बात सामने आ रही थी कि आधार कार्ड न होने पर मार्केट रेट पर एलपीजी सिलेंडर खरीदना पड़ेगा।


हालांकि, इसके पहले केंद्र सरकार ने भी साफ तौर पर कहा था कि सरकारी सब्सिडी का फायदा लेने के लिए आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य नहीं बनाया गया है। चाहे मामला एलपीजी का हो या कुछ और।



लोकसभा में अंतरिम बजट प्रस्तुत करते हुए उन्होंने कहा कि मैं आपको बताना चाहूंगा कि सरकार आधार, जिसके तहत अभी तक 57 करोड़ विशिष्ट संख्या आवंटित की गई है, और वित्तीय समावेशीकरण हेतु सभी आधार कार्डधारकों के लिए बैंक खाता खोलने के लिए पूरी तरह प्रतिबद्ध है।


चिदंबरम ने कहा कि मुझे इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं कि समय के साथ आधार के आलोचक मानने लगेंगे कि आधार सशक्तीकरण का एक औजार है। उन्होंने कहा कि नकद सब्सिडी भुगतान योजना के तहत लाभार्थियों को 27 योजनाओं के अंतर्गत पैसे हस्तांतरित किए जाते हैं। साथ ही उन्होंने यह भी बताया कि 2.1 करोड़ रसोई गैस सिलेंडर लाभार्थियों को 3,370 करोड़ रुपये हस्तांतरित किए गए हैं।


सरकार की महत्वाकांक्षी आधार कार्ड योजना की कानूनी वैधानिकता पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट में सुनवाई शुरू हो गई है। परियोजना को चुनौती देने वालों ने इसे न सिर्फ निजता के अधिकार का हनन बताया बल्कि निजी कंपनियों द्वारा बायोमेट्रिक ब्योरा एकत्र किए जाने को देश की सुरंक्षा के लिए खतरा भी करार दे दिया।

मुंबई हाई कोर्ट के सेवानिवृत न्यायाधीश पुत्तास्वामी ने सुप्रीम कोर्ट में याचिका दाखिल कर आधार कार्ड की अनिवार्यता पर सवाल उठाया है। जस्टिस पुत्तास्वामी ने पेंशन को आधार कार्ड से जोड़े जाने का विरोध किया है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने गत नवंबर में इस याचिका पर अंतरिम आदेश पारित करते हुए आधार की अनिवार्यता पर रोक लगा दी थी। मंगलवार से याचिका पर नियमित सुनवाई शुरू हुई।

पुत्तास्वामी के वकील श्याम दीवान ने दलील दी कि सरकार ने बिना कानून योजना लागू कर दी है। सिर्फ प्रशासनिक आदेश से न सिर्फ योजना लागू की गई बल्कि आधार कार्ड को विभिन्न योजनाओं से जोड़कर अनिवार्य भी कर दिया गया है। योजना पर सवाल उठाते हुए दीवान ने कहा कि निजी कंपनियों और संस्थाओं को बायोमेट्रिक डाटा एकत्र करने का अधिकार दिया गया है और इस पर सरकार का कोई नियंत्रण नहीं है। निजी हाथों में बायोमेट्रिक डाटा होने से उसका दुरुपयोग हो सकता है। ये देश की सुरक्षा के लिए भी खतरा है। ये निजता के अधिकार का भी उल्लंघन है क्योंकि इससे व्यक्ति की हर समय निगरानी हो सकती है। इस पर न्यायमूर्ति बीएस चौहान की अध्यक्षता वाली तीन सदस्यीय पीठ ने सवाल किया कि अगर कोई व्यक्ति इच्छा से बायोमेट्रिक ब्योरा देकर पहचान पत्र लेना चाहता है तो क्या कोर्ट उसे रोक सकता है? दीवान का जवाब था कि ऐसे में योजना ऐच्छिक होनी चाहिए अनिवार्य नहीं। पीठ का दूसरा सवाल था कि पूर्वोत्तर राज्यों के बारे में सरकार ने एक हलफनामे में बड़ी संख्या में अवैध रूप से रह रहे लोगों की बात कही है। क्या अवैध रूप से रह रहे लोगों की पहचान नहीं होनी चाहिए। आधार योजना के पीछे ये भी कारण हो सकता है। दीवान ने कहा कि उनकी भी चिंता यही है क्योंकि आधार कार्ड सिर्फ नागरिकों ही नहीं बल्कि घुसपैठियों को भी दिए जा रहे हैं। योजना में इसकी रोकथाम के उपाय नहीं किए गए हैं। कुछ राज्यों ने शादी में तो कुछ ने वेतन और अन्य योजनाओं में आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य कर दिया है।



चिदम्बर जी बजट मे किसानो के लिए क्या है ?


देश का अन्नदाता किसान कांग्रेस पार्टी के अजेंडे मे क्यों नहीं है ? और जाहिर है बीजेपी इस बार कभी कुछ नहीं बोलेगी !


अब जरा इधर भी नजर डाल लीजिये हुजूर !


भारत सरकार के आँकड़ों के अनुसार देश का कुल कृषि क्षेत्रफल लगभग 125 मिलियन हैक्टेयर है. भारत की कुल आबादी 1 अरब 21 करोड़ है. देश की आबादी का लगभग 60 प्रतिशत हिस्सा कृषि पर निर्भर है. इस प्रकार लगभग 72 करोड़ लोग कृषि पर निर्मल हैं. अगर सिर्फ 72 करोड़ लोगों में कृषि योग्य भूमि का वितरण किया जाए तो भी प्रतिव्यक्ति कृषि योग्य भूमि आएगी मात्र 0.17 हैक्टेयर. पाँच लोगों के एक औसत परिवार में कुल कृषि योग्य भूमि होगी 0.17x5=0.85 हैक्टेयर.


अब आप बताइए कि एक हैक्टेयर से भी कम भूमि के एक औसत भारतीय किसान परिवार की आर्थिक और शैक्षिक स्थिति क्या है? क्या वह बहुत सुखी और समृद्ध है?


सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने उन 11 राज्यों को नोटिस जारी कर जवाब दाखिल करने को कहा है जिन्होंने आधार कार्ड (यूआईडी) को तमाम सरकारी सुविधाओं का लाभ लेने के लिए जरूरी बनाया हुआ है। इसके तहत सैलरी देने से लेकर स्कूल-कॉलेज में ऐडमिशन, मैरेज रजिस्ट्रेशन और एलपीजी कनेक्शन वगैरह लेने के लिए आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य किया गया है।


सुप्रीम कोर्ट के जस्टिस बी. एस. चौहान की अगुआई वाली बेंच ने राज्यों से जानना चाहा है कि वे बताएं कि आधार कार्ड स्कीम का नेचर क्या है और क्या उक्त सुविधाओं से आधार को लिंक किया गया है। मामले की अगली सुनवाई के लिए अदालत ने 10 दिसंबर की तारीख तय की है। महाराष्ट्र, दिल्ली, कर्नाटक आदि राज्यों में कई सरकारी सुविधाओं के लिए आधार को अनिवार्य बनाया गया है।


आधार कार्ड की संवैधानिक वैधता को चुनौती देते हुए याचिकाकर्ता के वकील अनिल दीवान ने दलील दी कि सरकार की ओर से तमाम प्राइवेट डेटा लिया जाना आम आदमी के राइट टु प्राइवेसी में दखल है। आधार स्कीम पूरी तरह से मूल अधिकार में दखल है। यह संविधान के अनुच्छेद-14 (राइट टु इक्वैलिटी) और अनुच्छेद-21 (राइट टू लाइफ ऐंड लिबर्टी) में दखल है। सरकार कहती है कि यह आधार स्कीम स्वैच्छिक है लेकिन ऐसा नहीं हो रहा। आधार तमाम तरह की सुविधाओं के लिए अनिवार्य किया जा रहा है। शादी के रजिस्ट्रेशन से लेकर अन्य तरह की सुविधाओं के लिए आधार को अनिवार्य किया गया है। महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने हाल ही में कहा था कि अगर संबंधित पार्टी के पास आधार कार्ड नहीं होगा तो शादी रजिस्टर्ड नहीं होगी।


मामले की सुनवाई के दौरान सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने याचिकाकर्ता के वकील से कहा कि मामले में दलील के वक्त इस बात का ध्यान रखना होगा कि वास्तविकता क्या है। इस देश का कठोर सच यह है कि ज्यादातर लोगों के लिए खाना और पानी राइट टु प्राइवेसी से ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण है। क्या वो लोग जो एक रुपये और दो रुपये प्रति किलो चावल के लिए फाइट करते हैं वे प्राइवेसी की बात करेंगे? जहां तक बच्चों की सहमति न लिए जाने का सवाल है तो यहां पैरेंट्स की मर्जी से बच्चों की शादी कराई जाती है। यह तमाम धाराओं को प्रभावित नहीं करेगा?


सुप्रीम कोर्ट की यह टिप्पणी तब आई जब दीवान ने यह दलील दी कि लोगों का व्यक्तिगत डेटा प्राइवेट सेक्टर के पास जा रहा है। लोगों की प्राइवेसी प्रभावित हो रही है। जो डेटा कलेक्ट किया जा रहा है उस पर कोई निगरानी नहीं है। इससे पहले सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने अपने उस आदेश में बदलाव से इनकार कर दिया था जिसमें सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा था कि आधार कार्ड सरकारी स्कीम के लिए अनिवार्य नहीं किया जा सकता। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने 23 सितंबर को अपने आदेश में कहा था कि आधार कार्ड सरकारी स्कीम के लिए अनिवार्य नहीं किया जा सकता। सुप्रीम कोर्ट में एक रिटायर जस्टिस ने पीआईएल दाखिल कर कहा है कि आधार कार्ड की वैलिडिटी को चुनौती दी गई है।


मद्रास उच्च न्यायालय ने तेल विपणन कंपनियों को निर्देश दिया कि वे सब्सिडी का प्रत्यक्ष लाभ उठाने के इच्छुक ग्राहकों को आधार कार्ड जमा करने के लिए बाध्य न करें।


मदुरै पीठ के न्यायमूर्ति आर. सुधाकर और न्यायमूर्ति वी.एम. वेलुमणि की खंडपीठ ने कहा कि सुप्रीम कोर्ट पहले ही इस मामले पर सुनवाई कर रहा है और सुप्रीम कोर्ट का फैसला आने तक एलपीजी एजेंटों या तेल कंपनियों को आधार कार्ड या संख्या आदि प्रस्तुत करने पर जोर नहीं देना चाहिए।


याचिकाकर्ता एस.एम. अनंतमुरगन ने अपनी जनहित याचिका में कहा कि गैस एजेंसियां ग्राहकों से आधार कार्ड प्रस्तुत करने पर जोर दे रही हैं जो सुप्रीम कोर्ट के निर्देश के खिलाफ है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने सितंबर में कहा था कि सरकारी सब्सिडी लेने के लिए आधार अनिवार्य नहीं है।

Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the unique identification number Aadhaar issued to residents is a tool of empowerment, especially for migrant workers, the homeless and the oppressed."I have no doubt that in course of time, even critics of Aadhaar will realise that Aadhaar is a tool of empowerment," Chidambaram said in his budgetary speech here. "Who needs Aadhaar? It is those who are at the bottom of the pyramid, the poor, the migrant workers, the homeless, and the oppressed who need Aadhaar, and we will ensure that they get Aadhaar," he said.Last year, the government faced flak after making Aadhaar mandatory for its ambitious programme of transferring cooking gas subsidy directly to beneficiaries in certain districts.The apex court observed that the government could not deny benefits to those who did not have not Aadhaar numbers. Later, the scheme was put on hold. A sum of Rs 3,370 crore has been transferred to 2.1 crore LPG (cooking gas) beneficiaries. The scheme has been put on hold for the time being pending resolution of some difficulties that have been pointed out, Chidambaram said. Also Read: Excise duty cut good; see reduction in SUV prices: M&MAccording to the minister, money is transferred to beneficiaries under 27 schemes, including the National Social Assistance Programme. A total of 54,20,114 transactions have been put through until January 31, and Rs 628 crore has been transferred."The government is fully committed to Aadhaar, under which 57 crore unique numbers have been issued so far and to opening bank accounts for all Aadhaar holders in order to promote financial inclusion," he said. At present, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which is responsible for issuing Aadhaar numbers to residents, is enrolling people in 22 states and Union Territories.Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet allowed UIDAI to start enrolments in four more states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.



Finance Minister P Chidambaram reiterated that the payment of LPG subsidies through the UPA's direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme has been put on hold for the time being while adding that the government remains fully committed to Aadhaar and will continue to use it to promote financial inclusion.


The government has suspended the cash transfer of cooking gas subsidy directly to the account of beneficiaries. DBT, envisaged as a game changer, is aimed at plugging leakages and elimina ..


Read more at:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/30588536.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst


Aadhar Project Is Unconstitutional, Undemocratic And Anti Parliamentarian

http://tlnind.blogspot.in/2012/01/aadhar-project-is-unconstitutional.html

Techno Legal News: Aadhar Project Is Unconstitutional, Undemocratic And Anti Parliamentarian

tlnind.blogspot.com

Unlike ·  · Share · February 4 at 3:37am


Aadhaar Project Of India Is Bad And Should Be Scrapped

http://technolegalthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/aadhaar-project-of-india-is-bad-and-should-be-scrapped/

Aadhaar Project Of India Is Bad And Should Be Scrapped

technolegalthoughts.wordpress.com

Aadhaar project is full of loopholes, inconsistencies and troubles. While other countries have abandoned similar ideas, India has simply adopted the same without much debate and analysis. By attach...

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http://www.one.in/niti-central/modi-questions-validity-in-aadhar-card-project-1-1826305.html

Modi questions validity in Aadhar card project

one.in

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress-led UPA Government over the Aadhar card project. Modi questioned the deployment of massive funds for it, virtually smelling...

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The Illegality Of Aadhaar Project Is Questioned In India Courts: Is Indian Government Sleeping?

http://perry4law.org/cecsrdi/?p=609

The Illegality Of Aadhaar Project Is Questioned In India Courts: Is Indian Government Sleeping?...

perry4law.org

The Illegality Of Aadhaar Project Is Questioned In India Courts: Is Indian Government Sleeping?Aadhaar project of India is one of the most controversial projects of Indian government. In fact, from time to...

Like ·  · Share · February 4 at 3:15am




Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the unique identification number Aadhaar issued to residents is a tool of empowerment, especially for migrant workers, the homeless and the oppressed. "I have no doubt that in course of time, even critics of Aadhaar will realise that Aadhaar is a tool of empowerment," Chidambaram said in his budgetary speech here. "Who needs Aadhaar? It is those who are at the bottom of the pyramid, the poor, the migrant workers, the homeless, and the oppressed who need Aadhaar, and we will ensure that they get Aadhaar," he said. Last year, the government faced flak after making Aadhaar mandatory for its ambitious programme of transferring cooking gas subsidy directly to beneficiaries in certain districts. The apex court observed that the government could not deny benefits to those who did not have not Aadhaar numbers. Later, the scheme was put on hold. A sum of Rs 3,370 crore has been transferred to 2.1 crore LPG (cooking gas) beneficiaries. The scheme has been put on hold for the time being pending resolution of some difficulties that have been pointed out, Chidambaram said. Also Read: Excise duty cut good; see reduction in SUV prices: M&M According to the minister, money is transferred to beneficiaries under 27 schemes, including the National Social Assistance Programme. A total of 54,20,114 transactions have been put through until January 31, and Rs 628 crore has been transferred. "The government is fully committed to Aadhaar, under which 57 crore unique numbers have been issued so far and to opening bank accounts for all Aadhaar holders in order to promote financial inclusion," he said. At present, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which is responsible for issuing Aadhaar numbers to residents, is enrolling people in 22 states and Union Territories. Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet allowed UIDAI to start enrolments in four more states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. P Chidambaram Let the Voting Begin PrevNext RELATED NEWS Roti, Kapda & Makaan: What do home buyers want? No TDS on Service Tax component of purchased property


Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/interim-budget-aadhaartoolempowerment-for-poor-says-chidambaram_1044707.html?utm_source=ref_article

Divided right and left, united in objective to scuttle Aadhaar - Indian Express

CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Posted by Ram Krishnaswamy

Divided right and left, united in objective to scuttle Aadhaar


Written by Ravish Tiwari | New Delhi | January 28, 2014 2:08 am


SUMMARY

Six groups have filed cases in the Supreme Court against UIDAI, the unique identification authority.


In contrast, the other four petitions don't raise Aadhaar's prospective coverage of non-citizens.


Right-wing and left, opponents to the Aadhaar project appear bunched together in two distinct formations as they separately seek to scuttle a project that aims at providing every citizen a unique identity number for targeted benefits from the government.


Six groups have filed cases in the Supreme Court against UIDAI, the unique identification authority. These have been filed during the last one year; the UPA-II government had set up UIDAI in 2009 and issued the first Aadhaar numbers in September 2010.

Several of the arguments overlap but what sets two petitions apart from the remaining four is that the former's objections are based on right-wing principles and the latter's on left-wing ones.


A petition by Justice (retired) Puttaswamy and Parvesh Khanna, and another by Maj. Gen. (retired) S G Vombatkere and Bezwada Wilson, both raise an objection identical to what the the BJP has been raising — that the project has no preventive to block illegal immigrants or non-citizens from getting an Aadhaar number.


In fact, BJP Rajya Sabha MP M Rama Jois, also a former chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, is backing the petition by Justice Puttuswamy.


"Yes," Rama Jois replied to a question by The Indian Express about his support. "Puttuswamy was a colleague of mine. I had raised my objections in Parliament as well. I had written to the Prime Minister. I am opposed to the Aadhaar project going ahead without legislative sanction. The government cannot go ahead with an executive order alone."


In contrast, the other four petitions don't raise Aadhaar's prospective coverage of non-citizens. The four petitions, including one by Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, have raised instead the left-liberal concerns of privacy, infringement of personal liberties and Aadhaar's being mandatory for welfare schemes. Usha Ramanathan, a campaigner against Aadhaar on left-liberal arguments, is learnt to be actively supporting some of these petitioners.


"As for which side I stand on. I have been researching the UID project almost since its inception, and I find that the handing over of data to all kinds of companies, the corporatisation of an exercise in generating identity; the fact that this is not about identity but about identification; and that these are about how citizens get converted into subjects — and more such questions are what bother me," she told The Indian Express in an emailed reply. "If we are going to be looking for the illegal immigrant through this project, we will miss what actually is the problem."


Ramanathan is learnt to have roped retired Delhi chief justice A P Shah into this cause in the past. Justice (retired) Shah refused to speak on this issue, citing his current job as the chairman of the Law Commission. Shah has, however, spoken publicly against the Aadhaar project in the past. In fact, along with several left-leaning activists, he was a signatory to one of the petitions to the government opposing the project.


The political orientation of the challengers has not been lost on UIDAI. "This appears to be an unholy nexus between the left and the right to kill the project through legal means," agreed a UIDAI functionary.


Another functionary, however, said that politically there did not appear many objections either from the left or from the right to the implementation of the project. The functionary stressed that the BJP governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa have been cooperative in the implementation of the project, and that the Left Front government in Tripura has not placed no obstacles either.


Yet the concerns persist. "Though these cases from the left-leaning and right-leaning individuals have not affected UIDAI's enrolment, which stands about 51 crore, there is a fear of the judicial sword killing the entire initiative in one go the way 122 telecom licenses were scrapped with a single stroke of the Supreme Court's pen," said a UIDAI functionary.


"These small groups of activists can bring this entire project to a halt after welfare programmes have leveraged this project for better service delivery," said another. The functionary pointed out how direct cash subsidy for 12.2 million gas cylinders is now directly credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries thanks to Aadhaar.

What's the 'Aadhaar' of the UID Scheme?

Gopal Krishna

The national identity card scheme represents the worst of government. It is intrusive and bullying. It is ineffective and expensive. It is an assault on individual liberty that does not promise a great good…" – Theresa May (British Home Secretary) announcing the complete dismantling of the UID project in the UK in June 2010.

The UPA's National Identification Authority of India Bill has been approved by the Union Cabinet, and subsequently the UPA has already launched its much-touted and ambitious Unique Identification (UID) project, called Aadhaar, in some parts of the country. It is to be noted that this massive project, which has tremendous repercussions for democracy in India, is being introduced without even a formal clearance by the Indian parliament, let alone a broad-based, country-wide discussion on its implications. It is also ironical that the UPA is promoting the UID project in India at a time when several countries in the world (including the USA, the UK, Australia, China, Canada and Germany) have scrapped similar projects. As the powers-that-be try to convince us of the 'advantages' of the UID project, let us consider the claims.  

'Better Delivery of Social Sector Schemes'?

According to the UPA Government, the UID will enable 'inclusive growth' and help the poor to better access social services by providing each citizen with a verifiable identity. The UID, we're told, will 'facilitate delivery of basic services', and 'plug leakages' in public expenditure.

This claim is highly exaggerated: after all, exclusion from social sector schemes are rarely caused by the inability to prove identity – they are, in the main, caused by the deliberate exclusion of the poor from these services and by deliberate corruption by those entrusted to run these schemes. When BPL families are unable to make use of their valid ration cards, when workers are not paid the legally mandated minimum wages, or when women workers in NREGA schemes are denied work or paid less than their due, the reason is not their lack of ability to prove their identity.

In fact, the introduction of UID is likely to go hand in hand with dismantling of the entire PDS mechanism (whereby the Government is responsible for delivery of guaranteed entitlements of food and fuel) in favour of 'smart cards' and 'cash transfers', under which the poor are likely to face even greater deprivation and exclusion.   

Foolproof Identification?

The UID scheme is being peddled as a system of foolproof biometric identification (i.e identification through fingerprints and iris scans as well as photographs.)

But this technology is neither highly accurate nor suitable for large scale use on a population of India's size. Research commissioned by the CIA and US Security establishment in September 2010 had concluded that the current state of biometrics is "inherently fallible" and liable to develop major problems if used on a large scale. The poorest Indians, most of them engaged in hard manual labour have what is in technical terms called "low quality" fingerprints rather than well-defined ones. This same section of people are also highly prone to malnutrition-induced cataract, and corneal injury too is very common, making iris scans quite unreliable as a form of identification. In case their 'fingerprint' or 'iris scan' fails to match at a later date, how will they prove their identity? Is this unreliable form of identification not, therefore, likely to create uncertainty and exclusion for the very section in whose name it is being introduced?

What are CIA-backed US Corporations doing on the UID Project?

Is the UID project a government project? If so, why has it entered into contracts with a range of private players and corporations, including those with close links with US intelligence agencies?

Take the instance of two US companies which have been hired for "Implementation of Biometric Solution for UIDAI." One of them is L1 Identity Solutions (whose main market, and recruitment ground, is the Central Intelligence Agency). Their website reads: "American and foreign military services, defense and intelligence agencies rely on L-1 solutions and services to help determine ally from enemy". Another US company is Accenture (which is working with US Homeland Security in their Smart Borders Project). This company is "committed to helping the (US) Department of Homeland Security" and its "solutions include developing prevention tactics, streamlining intelligence gathering and maximizing new technologies."

Why are companies closely linked to the CIA and US intelligence being given access to sensitive databases about Indian citizens? Is it for their expertise? The National Corruption Index, a website dedicated to exposing corruption in the US, has profiles on both Accenture and L-1, linking them to corruption. It states that Accenture was given a contract for a hi-tech screening system around US borders using fingerprint readers, optical scans and facial recognition software, but from the inception, the project was "plagued with breakdowns, mistakes and security breaches" and "has repeatedly failed to work."

The same website tells us that the L-1 CEO is "one of the main privatized gatekeepers of America's borders." The company has a former CIA director on its board, and specialises in identification technology. But in October 2007 a fraud unit found that its scanners "routinely declared counterfeit IDs to be valid." Can these US companies with their track record of failed projects, be trusted to keep India safe? Obviously not. But they are being entrusted with sensitive personal data about every Indian citizen! What guarantee is there that this information will not be leaked to the global market or expose Indian citizens to intrusive surveillance not only by the Indian State but even by organisations like the CIA?


'Voluntary Participation'?

The UPA Government has stressed that the UID would be a voluntary scheme. Nandan Nilekani, the former Infosys CEO heading the Aadhaar Project however spilled the beans when he said, "Yes, it is voluntary. But the service providers might make it mandatory. In the long run, I wouldn't call it compulsory. I would rather say that it will become ubiquitous." In other words, people will effectively have no choice but to register under the scheme because social welfare schemes and agencies like banks, insurance providers will insist on UID numbers. The upcoming legislation on the UID does not even bother to speak the language of democracy – according to the provisions of the proposed bill, one can be penalized for not updating the information provided to the UID project.

Steep Costs

The current costs are estimated at whopping Rs.45,000 crores, and this is probably a gross underestimate. Operationalising the UID scheme on the ground for NREGA and the public distribution system would require placing fingerprint readers at every panchayat office and every ration shop. The total costs of placing fingerprint readers in each PDS outlet and in each of India's 600,000 villages have not been taken into account in official cost calculations.

Consequences for Privacy

The NIAI Bill and UID project cannot be seen in isolation from a host of other Bills and projects relating, among other things, to privacy, DNA Profiling, Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations (PIII) for a National Knowledge Network and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). Joining the dots of all these various proposals, the picture that emerges is an ominous one of surveillance and tracking of Indian citizens to serve corporate and imperialist interests, economic as well as political.

Chidambaram's Man Suggests "Corporate Territorial Armies"

Mahindra Special Services Group CEO Captain Raghu Raman who heads NATGRID, a pet project of Chidambaram's Home Ministry to integrate intelligence databases, has prepared a report in which he makes the audacious suggestion that "it's time for the corporates to step in" to the arena of security. In favour of this idea, he cites the precedence for private security contractors in the Israel, the US and other countries. He proposes that corporates be allowed to raise their own "private territorial armies." He concludes that "If the commercial czars don't begin protecting their empires now, they may find the lines of control cutting across those very empires."

Let us remind ourselves that this is no corporate crank speaking. A man who advocates private armies for corporates has been entrusted by the Home Ministry to head a crucial national intelligence project, while companies who are "privatised gatekeepers" in the US have been given contracts for implementation of the UID project. What does it add up to?


On UID, the Draft Paper on Privacy Bill states, "Data privacy and the need to protect personal information is almost never a concern when data is stored in a decentralized manner. However, all this is likely to change with the implementation of the UID Project. One of the inevitable consequences of the UID Project will be that the UID Number will unify multiple databases. As more and more agencies of the government sign on to the UID Project, the UID Number will become the common thread that links all those databases together. Over time, private enterprise could also adopt the UID Number as an identifier for the purposes of the delivery of their services or even for enrolment as a customer...Once this happens, the separation of data that currently exists between multiple databases will vanish." This poses a threat to the identity of citizens and the idea of residents of the state as private persons will be forever abandoned. The potential for the UID data to be leaked to market forces as well as for intrusions by the state into citizens' privacy becomes enormous. Seen in conjunction with the involvement in the UID project of US corporations close to the CIA (see box) and with potentially intrusive Home Ministry initiatives like NATGRID which aim to integrate 21 databases to feed information to 11 security and intelligence agencies including RAW and IB, serious concerns about the expansion of the web of surveillance arise.     

The revolving door phenomenon – where corporate honchos dictate, guide and execute public policy – is very much visible in the UID project too and this explains their unadulterated enthusiasm for this project. Clearly, the UID project will open the doors to an unprecedented access of our personal and financial information to the corporate world; paving the way for misuse and manipulation of such information. The UID scheme is a blatant attempt to convert a resident into a number, the Indian population into a global market and then citizens into subjects.

Home > Liberation > Year_2011 > April_11 > What's the 'Aadhaar' of the UID Scheme?

Foolproof Aadhar?

Posted In: Nishtha Arora , UID . By Journalism student

By

Nishtha Arora


Two crore national unique identity numbers have been issued by the Unique Identification Authority (UID) in the month of October alone. It is said that UID aims to roll out Aadhaar-based applications for improved service delivery that will ensure that the poor benefits from welfare schemes.

"UIDAI has generated 59.6 million crore Aadhaar numbers within a little more than a year, and more than 100 million citizens have been enrolled in the system across the country", says the latest official statement from the UID authority. But if recent reports of the UID data being misused are to be believed, these cards run the risk of breaching individual privacy.

As recent media report cites the first of its kind complaint received against the misuse of address proof in UID, anti UID campaigners and researchers are vary of its 'safety'. "It is like a version of homeland security. We are no longer safe with our data being available on the net. The state can use anybody's fingerprints and make us look like we committed the crime. You know how easy it is to lift anyone's fingerprints these days"? rues Usha Ramanathan, an independent law researcher and the main voice behind 'Say no to UID' campaign. Gopal Krishna, of The International South Asia Forum (INSAF), has other apprehensions. "Wikileaks has shown that no data is digitally secure over the internet, then how can they claim that this UID data stored would not be hacked"? , he asks.

There is no denying the fact that the UID plan could make it simple for people to access various services such as banking and government subsidies through Aadhaar by merely swiping the cards. However, vulnerability of personal data does raise questions in the mind of the people. Is the digitally saved data in these smart cards secure enough?

Meanwhile advocates of the Unique Identification Authority are confident about the security of data at various levels of collection. "It's based on biometrics and retina scan etc and this personal information of a resident is digitally safe in the regional centres databases. Also, there is an option the form that asks for the resident to share the information with other authorities and they are free to accept or decline that option. It is just a yes or no option…then where does this question of digital data being misused or leaked out arise? When we are not sharing anyone's details then how can you say that the police or the state can misuse this data?" questions Sujata Chaturvedi, Deputy Director General (DDG) of UID.

Currently, UIDAI plans to issue 60 crore UID cards by the year 2014. The million dollar questions that needs to be answered at the moment is: Would the UID authority be able to keep up the promise of making functioning easy from the governance perspective and also secure our biometric information digitally safe always?


http://mcrcontherecord.blogspot.in/2011/11/foolproof-aadhar.html

Search Results

  1. MongoDB startup hired by Aadhaar got funds from CIA VC arm ...

  2. articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com › CollectionsUnstructured Data

  3. Dec 3, 2013 - BANGALORE: Two weeks ago, Max Schireson, chief executive of MongoDB, a New York-based technology startup, was in New Delhi to sew ...

  4. CPI(M) questions US firm's link with Aadhar - The Hindu

  5. www.thehindu.com › NewsNational

  6. Dec 5, 2013 - Party claims UIDAI had tied-up with a US firm, reportedly financed by an arm of CIA, to rollout Aadhar in the country.

  7. 'CIA Funded' Company MongoDB Working with Aadhaar?

  8. www.nextbigwhat.com/mongodb-aadhaar-297/

  9. by Jayadevan P K - in 500 Google+ circles

  10. Dec 3, 2013 - The fact that CIA's non profit Venture Capital Arm is backing the ... The Aadhaar database, which will eventually contain details of every Indian ...

  11. Relax, CIA is not snooping into Aadhaar via MongoDB - Firstbiz

  12. www.firstbiz.com/.../relax-cia-is-not-snooping-into-aadhaar-via-mongod...

  13. Dec 5, 2013 - Once again Aadhaar finds itself mired in shady discussions of privacy and security - and this time the CIA is involved. The Economic Times ...

  14. Aadhaar data in CIA's hands? - Moneylife

  15. www.moneylife.in › LifeUID/Aadhaar

  16. Dec 3, 2013 - UIDAI has partnered with MongoDB, a company funded by CIA of US, which will handle the Aadhaar database.

  17. CIA->In-Q-Tel->MongoDB->Aadhaar : Is there a risk for ... - Iamwire

  18. www.iamwire.com/2013/12/cia-in-q-tel-mongodb-aadhaar-risk-india/

  19. Dec 3, 2013 - CIA-IQT-MongoDB-AAdhar MongoDB, a New York-based technology startup, will possibly help in capturing and analysing data related to the ...

  20. Nilekani gave Aadhar card contract to CIA startup MongoDB? And ...

  21. moralvolcano.wordpress.com/.../nilekani-gave-aadhar-card-contract-to-c...

  22. Dec 3, 2013 - In-Q-Tel is also investors in Google. Facebook founder Suckerberg went to to a CIA school along with a Google co-founder. Google Chairman ...

  23. Govt compromised Aadhaar data with CIA: CPI(M) | Business Standard

  24. www.business-standard.com/.../govt-compromised-aadhaar-data-with-cia...

  25. Dec 5, 2013 - CPI(M) today charged the UPA government with compromising vital data under the Aadhaar scheme and sought cancellation of a tie-up ...

  26. UIDAI Partners CIA Funded MongoDB To Institute Aadhaar

  27. www.siliconindia.com › StartupNews

  28. Dec 3, 2013 - UIDAI Partners CIA Funded MongoDB To Institute Aadhaar - Bangalore: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) entered into a contract ...

  29. Govt compromised Aadhaar data with CIA CPI M Lastupdate:- Fri, 6 ...

  30. www.greaterkashmir.com/.../govt-compromised-aadhaar-data-with-cia-c...

  31. Dec 6, 2013 - New Delhi Dec 5 CPI M today charged the UPA government with compromising vital data under the Aadhaar scheme and sought cancellation ...

Aadhaar: Turning citizens into subjects through social controltechnology companies -PartXX

GOPAL KRISHNA | 31/12/2013 12:20 PM |   

What is being proposed by the likes of Pitrodas and Nilekanis through so-called transformational government project is to subjugate nation states and turn their citizens into subjects through social control technology companies


"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

-- The Fourth Amendment, Bill of Rights, United States Constitution adopted on March 1, 1792

Miraculous results can be achieved by practicing the methods of subversion. A king shall have his agents in the courts of the enemy, the ally, the Middle and the Neutral kings to spy on the kings as well as their eighteen types of high officials. A single assassin can achieve, with weapons, fire or poison, more than a fully mobilized army.

-Kautilya in Arthashastra, 150 A.D.

"There's safety in the blindingly obvious"

--David Headley (formerly Daood Saleem Gilani), an intelligence agent

It is 'blindingly obvious' that biometric identification is meant for indiscriminate warrantless and automatic surveillance of citizens. It signals the arrival of the "colonial epidemic of general searches" undertaken on behalf of the monarch with unlimited power on the life and property of subjects.

How will judges hear cases in the judicial system of an Orwellian state? How will they judicially/ biometrically identify the double agents?

Will they allow themselves and their fellow citizens to be subjected to an "ever-watchful electronic sentinel in order to collect future evidence"?

Will Indian Supreme Court allow the Government and non-state actors to wield the power of surveillance over sovereign citizens as portrayed in George Orwell's novel 1984 and Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report"? Orwell was born in India.

In the US Vs Antoine Jones case, the US Supreme Court gave its unanimous verdict on 23 January 2012 and held that by installing the Global Positioning System (GPS), an electronic device on Antoine Jones, the defendant's jeep without a valid warrant, the police had committed a trespass and the trespass constituted an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment. Michael R Dreeben, Deputy Solicitor General, Government of US had argued that information revealed to the world is not protected by the Fourth Amendment which protected "reasonable expectation of privacy" of citizens.

In 2005 Jones was suspected of drug trafficking but he was arrested when their warrant to attach a GPS tracking device to the underside of the defendant's jeep had expired and had crossed the geographical boundary for which it was valid. Walter E Dellinger III, the former US Solicitor General and the attorney who represented Jones said the verdict was "a signal event in Fourth Amendment history." This judgement came long after the 10 member 9/11 commission of inquiry in the US had submitted its report. The verdict is attached .

During his first presidential election campaign Barack Obama promised to act against the REAL ID Act passed illegitimately for identifying citizens biometrically during the regime of George W Bush. Obama administration acted on his promise along with the States of US.  

With its efforts to create Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)'s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR), National Population Register (NPR) and National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) in the aftermath of 26 November 2008 wherein 166 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the world's fourth largest city, Mumbai,Government of India seems to be undertaking tasks which have been abandoned in US. The book 'The Siege: The Attack on the Taj" authored by Adrian Levvy & Cathy Scott-Clark published in 2013 by Penguin Books reveals that "The handler Abu Qahafa, 'the Bull', has never been identified. Nor has Major Iqbal, David Headley's ISI contact, who recruited 'the Mice', his information gatherers in Mumbai, who boasted of an Indian double agent called 'Honey Bee'. None of these sources have been found or identified." Abu Qahafa who handled the military components of Operation Bombay is a Punjabi from Bahawalpur is the second in command in Lashkar-e-Toiba which was formed in 1990 by Hafiz Saeed. The book will have us believe that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was providing consistent intelligence inputs based on its 'significant source' implanted in Lashkar to Indian intelligence agencies. It is admitted that Lashkar knew David Headley (formerly Daood Saleem Gilani) who befriended to be operating for western intelligence agencies.

One wonders whether the chiefs of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)'s biometric NPR and NATGRID and Planning Commission's CIDR of biometric UID/Aadhaar numbers identify these unidentified individuals like 'Honey Bee' before proceeding with their task of biometrically identifying Indians.Before proceeding with these initiatives it, it must fix accountability for failure to act on available intelligence inputs about the attack on Mumbai.

What are the lessons from bomb explosions in Mumbai in April 1993 in which Sanjay Dutt was allegedly involved among others, conflict in Kargil, attack on Parliament and attack on Mumbai trains in July 2006 and on 5-star hotels and railway station in November 2008? Did it really create a rationale for indiscriminately biometrically profiling all the Indians?

Press Trust of India reported on 13 December 2013 that Chief of Army, General Bikram Singh accepted the Legion of Merit, the sixth highest military honour of the US, when he visited that country from 2nd to 5 December 2013 without the clearance from the Ministry of Defence. General Singh was also inducted into the US Army War College (USAWC) International Fellows Hall of Fame, and toured various military facilities of USA such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Benning in Georgia. The Ministry learnt about it from media. General Singh gave a keynote speech to the USAWC graduating class of 2013-2014. He is an alumnus of the USAWC, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, having completed a course there in 2004. During his visit to the US earlier this month, Xinhua news agency reported that the Ministry has sought an explanation from General Singh but Sitanshu Kar, the spokesman for the Defense Ministry has refused to comment on the matter.

Earlier, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma who as the Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy, from 31 August 2009 to 31 August 2012 and as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee got himself biometrically profiled on 18 August 2011. Did he take the permission of Ministry of Defence before subjecting himself to the ignominy of being biometrically profiled? It has also been reported the office Minister of Defence was implanted surveillance equipments. These incidents happened during the tenure of AK Antony as the Defence Minister.

In November 2012, Admiral Verma was appointed as the High Commissioner to Canada. Can Government of India on affidavit inform the Supreme Court that Admiral Verma's biometric profile is not available with Canada's Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), which is part of the intelligence sharing alliance comprising of US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France?  In an unrelated development, Nandan Nilekani was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canada on 31 May 2011.

Most recently, the Economic Times has published a news based on the report from Press Trust of India dated 28 December 2013 that Captain P Raghu Raman, the CEO of NATGRID has announced that "In many ways it (NATGRID) has started. There are certain elements being helped out where it is required," when he was asked if the NATGRID has begun its operations. NATGRID is born out of the lessons from 26/11 attack in Mumbai. NATGRID attempts to replicate Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of US and will require similar budgetary allocations. It is to act on the basis of 21 data sources of various intelligence and enforcement agencies for 10 user agencies. National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was supposed to gather information through the NATGRID.

Prior to this Captain Raghu Raman was the CEO of a multinational security company, Mahindra Special Security Services Group, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group.  He has been Chairman, Internal Security Committee, Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) and head of Subgroup on Industry Guidelines and Member, National Task Force on Internal Security, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Raman had left Indian Army on a job offer from Anand Mahindra, the industrialist and took over as the CEO of the joint venture between Mahindra and British Aerospace, Mahindra Defence Land System in 2009. During the Mumbai attack of November 2008, Raman reportedly spoke constantly on the phone for nearly two days with some people trapped inside sharing "dos and don'ts" despite the fact that he had lost two friends in the terror strike.

It has been noted that 22 minutes after the first shots were fired in Leopold Café, Mumbai on 26 November 2008, Black Cats were ready but it took the Cabinet Secretary, the top most civil servant in the country, 70 minutes (one hour and 10 minutes) to contact Jyoti Dutt, the then Chief of National Security Guards (NSG) under whom Black Cats operated. Madhukar Gupta, the then Secretary, MHA was stranded in Pakistan, on government business, and could not get a flight until the morning and when he did arrive he asked Dutt who was to leave for the airstrip, to pick him up from his residence which entailed significant deviation from Dutt's route. This is noteworthy that the authors' name some officials and in some specific cases they just mention their designations like the Joint Secretary Police (Internal Security) who withheld the green light for the combat operations in the crucial moment. One of the sons of Syed Saleem Gilani, a radio broadcaster from Voice of America and Serrill Headley from Maryland, David Headley (formerly Daood Saleem Gilani) is a US citizen of Pakistani descent. David Headley (formerly Daood Saleem Gilani) is from a mohajir family, who migrated to Pakistan from Kapurthala, Punjab after partition. His half-brother Danyal was the public relations officer of the Pakistan's Prime Minister. When his father died Pakistan's Prime Minister (name?) visited his family to offer condolences. There is 'overwhelming evidence' that David Headley (formerly Daood Saleem Gilani) who ran 'Reliance cyber café' near Churchgate railway station was an intelligence agent.

           

Is it irrelevant to recollect as to why Adil Sharyar, son of Muhammad Yunus, a migrant from North West Frontier Province, Pakistan who was convicted in US was pardoned by the President of US? Yunus was a confidant of Indira Gandhi and was one of the names mentioned as candidates for the Presidential elections in which R Venkatraman was elected as the President. Venkatraman mentions his name in his book 'My Presidential Years'. Sharyar was imprisoned and he was serving a 35-year sentence for setting off a firebomb, fraud and other violations in Florida. He was pardoned by Ronald Reagan on 11 June 1985, the day Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Washington for a visit with the President. What was the quid pro quoinvolved to secure the pardon for Sharyar from the US President? Rajiv Gandhi had told India Abroad, news agency that he had not asked for the release of his friend.    

In the Parliament, Prof Madhu Dandvate had asked the Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA) whether the attention of Government has been drawn to the news report in Times of India (Delhi Edition) of 4 March 1986 under the caption 'Ex-CIA agents' firm made 'Rajiv's India' and whether it is correct that the company which made the film is owned by a former CIA boss Max Hugel and does not such a close liaison between the former CIA boss and the firm production activities harm the national interests and security requirements. KR Narayanan, the then Minister of State in MEA had replied, "The Television Documentary "Rajiv's India" was a joint production of Jack Anderson File/International Syndications Inc. It is a fact that Max Hugel, the President of International Syndications INC (ISI) held an official position in the CIA from 21 January 1981 to 14 July 1981" in a written reply. With regard to question as to its harm to national interests and security requirements, the minister added that it does not harm because "Normal procedures of checking with appropriate authorities for protection of national interests and security requirements are invariably observed before Government grant permission to the producers to visit India to make films. Every security precaution was observed when the television team visited India."

Jack Anderson, the co-producer of the documentary was an investigative journalist who had exposed the infamous Nixon-Kissinger 'tilt' towards Pakistan during the war for the liberation of Bangladesh. Doordarshan had announced that the documentary will be broadcast nationwide but at the scheduled time it was not shown "due to certain technical problems." The 'technical problems' never got solved.  As per official records is it known as to for how many hours did Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi spend with Max Hugel in getting themselves recorded? Will this documentary be ever shown in India? The books of intelligence agencies underline that in the business of intelligence gathering, once an individual is recruited, he remains recruited forever. Is it untrue?

It was in this a context that Dr Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda (Sam Pitroda), a US citizen, came on an invitation from Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister. Pitroda became an advisor to Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister and is at present the advisor to the current Prime Minister on public information infrastructure and innovations (PIII) in the rank of a cabinet minister without oath of office and secrecy. He claims to be working for 'Democratisation of information', which sounds like there is safety in stating blindingly the opposite of what one intends to do.

PIII intends to connect each of the country's 250,000 panchayats to fast, broadband connections. As per its plan, a giant, nationwide, broadband network that will not only integrate all Indians with their governments but government departments with one another, all educational and scientific institutions, every related government programme and develop new applications for these programmes as the network takes shape is unfolding. Aadhaar is a subset of this universal plan. These programmes will be controlled by applications to be developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) which created during 1975-1977. The overall plan is that UID will tag every person, GIS will tag every place, and the applications will tag every programme. Once the basic PIII is in place, it is envisaged that "Once we do the basic platforms, "Some kid will figure out the applications." Which kid will figure out the applications? What if these applications end up undertaking surveillance of nine hundred million telephones which are currently being used in the country?

It is noteworthy that Pitroda and Hubert Vedrine, former foreign minister of France, have founded the People for Global Transformation (PGT), which held its first meeting in the last week of September 2012 with the Reliance Foundation in Mumbai.  At one point, Vedrine was the Diplomatic adviser of French President, François Mitterrand during 1981-1995. Coincidentally, French Government has a stake in the Safran Group which is involved in biometric Aadhaar. In an interview to Business Standard, Pitroda said, we "come together to think about what kind of world we need to create. For over a decade, I have been telling friends that during the World War II, small groups of people got together and decided certain institutes needed to be set up and they were formed with an idea to dominate the world. So, we have the UN, World Bank, NATO and others. All these institutions do not make any sense now; they are obsolete." They are using 10 people who from a policy-making background, from emerging and mature economies for this work.

Pitroda says, "Nation-states might not have the same meaning anymore as 70 years ago, especially in the connected world." Global Transformation is the aim of the World Bank's e-Transform Initiative launched in Washington in April 2010 which is unfolding in partnership with five transnational companies and national governments of France and South Korea. Meanwhile, Nandan Nilekani, the official of Planning Commission has won an award coincidentally named NDTV's Transformational Idea Award 2011. He is also a winner of ET Award winner for Policy Agent of the Year in 2011 and a member of the ET Awards Jury in 2013. In an unrelated development, The Economic Times and The Times of India have been publishing UIDAI's advertisements at regular intervals.

It is indeed true that a small group of people set up institutions like UN, World Bank and NATO to dominate the world. They are indeed obsolete but what is being proposed through so-called transformational government project is to subjugate nation states and turn their citizens into subjects through social control technology companies. There is democracy deficit in the these institutions but what is being bulldozed under the dictates of these very institutions only enables their firmer grip over the fate of present and future citizens.  

At a convocation address on 2 December 2013, Pitroda said, "We are creating two major networks – one called knowledge network to connect all our Universities and R&D institutions, libraries and others, with 40 GB bandwidth to transfer large amounts of information so that our scientists can collaborate better, share resources and expedite research and development. The second network is to connect 250,000 local panchayatsthrough optical fiber. When that happens, all our villages would have huge amount of broadband capacity. These two networks will cost us about Rs50,000 crore. The first one is already built the second one will be built in next eighteen months. In addition, we are creating platforms for ID (Aadhaar) that Nandan Nilekani is working on; GIS (Geographic Information Systems) – Dr Kasturirangan, Dr Ramaswamy, Dr Nayak are working on; Dr Gairola in NeGP (National e-Governance Plan) where information on food distribution, driver's license, passport, income tax – all would be organised. We are computerizing 32 million court cases because it takes fifteen years to get justice today. We need to organise and computerize the police, CBI and prisons." He revealed that his public information infrastructure will be ready in 2-3 years at the cost of about Rs1 lakh crore.

No one seems to have asked Pitroda who is a political appointee in the rank of a cabinet minister in the Indian National Congress-led Government as to what will be the fate of PIII related sets like UID/Aadhaar, NPR and NATGRID after the 2014 elections.  

Notably, it is not only the US Supreme Court that has come in defence of democratic rights, even the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Supreme Court of Philippines has ruled against indiscriminate biometric profiling by the Government or any entity. Now Supreme Court of India has to decide whether or the letter and spirit of Fourth Amendment of US Constitution is present in Indian Constitution or not and whether the unanimous verdict of ECHR against indiscriminate profiling is relevant in India as well. Besides biometric Aadhaar, NPR, the court must consider examining the interconnectedness and legality of NIC, NATGRID and PIII as well.  

You may also want to read…

Why biometric identification of citizens must be resisted? Part I

Biometric identification is modern day enslavement -Part II

Biometric profiling, including DNA, is dehumanising -Part III

Marketing and advertising blitzkrieg of biometric techies and supporters -Part IV

History of technologies reveals it is their owners who are true beneficiaries -Part V

UID's promise of service delivery to poor hides IT, biometrics industry profits –Part VI

Technologies and technology companies are beyond regulation? -Part VII

Surveillance through biometrics-based Aadhaar –Part VIII

Narendra Modi biometrically profiled. What about Congress leaders?-Part IX

Aadhaar: Why opposition ruled states are playing partner for biometric UID? -Part X

Is Nandan Nilekani acting as an agent of non-state actors? –Part XI

Aadhaar and UPA govt's obsession for private sector benefits–Part XII

Are Indians being used as guinea pigs of biometric technology companies? -Part XIV

Aadhaar: Is the biometric data of human body immortal and ageless? Part XV

Aadhaar: The propaganda of transnational vested interests –Part XVI

Aadhaar: Pakistan handed over, India giving database on a platter– Part XVII

Engineered row in US-India relations, an attention diversion tactics of big brothers?—Part XVIII

Aadhaar: UIDAI and the 'fifth column' of Napoleon—Part XIX

(Gopal Krishna is member of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), which is campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010)



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Aam Aadmi Party Kerala ആം ആദ്മി പാര്ട്ടി കേരളം

ആം ആദ്‍മി സ്ഥാനാര്‍ഥി പട്ടികയില്‍ സോണി സോറിയും

ആം ആദ്മി സ്ഥാനാര്‍ത്ഥി പട്ടികയില്‍ മാവോവാദി ബന്ധമാരോപിച്ച് ഭരണകൂടം തടവിലാക്കി പീഡിപ്പിച്ച ആദിവാസി അധ്യാപിക സോണി സോറിയും. ആം ആദ്മി പാര്‍ട്ടിയുടെ ആദ്യഘട്ട സ്ഥാനാര്‍ത്ഥി പട്ടികയിലേയ്ക്ക് അവസാന നിമിഷമാണ് നേതാക്കള്‍ സോണി സോറിയുടെ പേര് ചേര്‍ത്തതെന്നും റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ടില്‍ പറയുന്നു. ആദിവാസി മേഖലയായ ബസ്തറില്‍ ബി.ജെ.പിയുടെ ദിനേശ് കശ്യപിനെതിരായാണ് സോണി സോറി മത്സരിയ്ക്കുക. തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പില്‍ മത്സരിയ്ക്കാന്‍ താത്പര്യമുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ മത്സരിയ്ക്കാമെന്ന...See More

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bhiram Mallick shared Manoj Singh Yadav's photo.

शरीफ़ इंसान आखिर क्यों इलेक्शन हार जाता है |

किताबों में तो लिक्खा है कि रावन हार जाता है ||


जुड़ी हैं इससे तहज़ीबें सभी तस्लीम करते हैं |

नुमाइश में मगर मिट्टी का बरतन हार जाता है... ||

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he Economic Times

A vote for Narendra Modi is a vote for Mukesh Ambani, and voters seeking a change from Rahul Gandhi-led Congress need to be educated about this, Arvind Kejriwal told ET, while also saying AAP's Lok Sabha strategy has been wrong so far. Read more here http://ow.ly/tJeeu


Also read his full Interview - I think Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji are good people: Arvind Kejriwal - http://ow.ly/tJefF


Do you think this "politics of certification" will help AAP in the long run?

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The Economic Times

EXCLUSIVE: Top economic commentators, politicians and experts decode & analyse ‪#‎Budget2014‬: UPA-II failed to build on the work done by UPA-I http://ow.ly/tJhnX | Back to 1991: FM has contracted the economy by investment cuts, says Sitaram Yechury http://ow.ly/tJhoWand more. Read all of it here - http://ow.ly/tJhwr

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Aam Aadmi Party Uttarakhand

January 24, 2013

Dear friend,


Arvind Kejriwal has written an email to Sh Mukesh Ambani. The mail, written in Hindi, is given below.Kindly share this post as widely as possible.


Regards


Aam Aadmi Party Team


---------------------------------------------------------------------------Letter in Hindi--------------------------------------------------------------------------


श्री मुकेश अंबानी

रिलायंस इंडस्ट्रीज़ लिमिटेड

मेकर्स चैम्बर्स - IV

नरीमन पाइंट,

मुंबई - 400021


श्री मुकेश अंबानी जी,


अभी हाल ही में आपने देश के सभी टी.वी. चैनलों को मानहानि का नोटिस भेजा है। इनका जुर्म यह है कि इन्होंने 31 अक्टूबर, 2012 और 9 नवम्बर, 2012 को मेरी और प्रशांत भूषण की प्रेस कांफ्रेंस का सीधा प्रसारण किया था। हमने अपनी प्रेस कांफ्रेंस में देश के लोगों को बताया था कि किस तरह से आपने गैरकानूनी तरीके से सरकार पर दबाव डालकर गैस के दाम बढ़वाए। हमने लोगों को यह भी बताया कि आपके, आपके साथियों के और आपकी कंपनियों के स्विस बैंक में खाते हैं जिनमें कालाधन जमा किया गया था। हमारे इस खुलासे का कई टी.वी. चैनलों ने सीध प्रसारण किया। आपने इन सभी टी.वी. चैनलों को मानहानि का नोटिस भेजा है।


मेरी समझ में नहीं आ रहा है कि मेरी और प्रशांत भूषण की कही गई बातों से यदि आपकी मानहानि हुई है तो इसके सबसे बड़े दोषी तो मैं और प्रशांत भूषण हैं। नोटिस भेजना ही था तो आपको हमें भेजना चाहिए था। टी.वी. चैनलों ने तो केवल उसका प्रसारण ही किया था। फिर भी आपने हमें नोटिस न भेजकर टी.वी. चैनलों को नोटिस भेजा है। इससे जाहिर है कि आपका मकसद केवल टी.वी. चैनलों पर दबाव बनाने का है।


देश की जनता आपसे कुछ सीधे सवाल पूछना चाहती है। भारत सरकार को स्विस बैंको में खातेदारों की जो लिस्ट मिली है, क्या ये सच नहीं है कि आपका, आपके रिश्तेदारों का, आपके दोस्तों का और आपकी कंपनियों का उनमें नाम है? क्या यह सच नहीं है कि इस लिस्ट में आपके नाम पर सौ करोड़ रुपये जमा दिखाए गए हैं? क्या ये सच नहीं है कि आपने इस पैसे पर टैक्स जमा कर दिया है? इससे यह साबित होता है कि आपने अपना जुर्म कबूल कर लिया है। कानून के मुताबिक अब आप पर मुकदमा चलना चाहिए और यदि टैक्स की चोरी साबित होती है तो आपको जेल होनी चाहिए।


लेकिन ऐसा नहीं होगा। क्यों? क्योंकि सरकार आपसे डरती है। आपने खुद ही कहा है कि कांग्रेस पार्टी तो आपकी दुकान है। आपने सच ही कहा था। मीडिया में छपी कुछ खबरों के मुताबिक सोनिया गाँधी जी आपके निजी हवाई जहाज से यात्रा करती हैं। लोगों का मानना है कि श्री जयपाल रेडडी का मंत्रालय भी आप ही के दबाव में बदला गया था।


केवल कांग्रेस ही क्यों? भाजपा और अन्य पार्टियां भी आपकी दुकान हैं। पहले तो आडवाणी जी स्विस बैंकों के खातों के बारे में खूब आवाज़ उठाते थे लेकिन जब से आपके खाते निकलकर सामने आए तो सारी भाजपा बिल्कुल चुप हो गई। आपके खातों के बारे में भाजपा ने संसद में एक शब्द भी नहीं बोला।


ऐसा लगता है कि सभी पार्टियां आपसे डरती हैं। सभी नेता आपसे डरते हैं। लेकिन इस देश की जनता आपसे नहीं डरती। सारी पार्टियां आपकी दुकान हो सकती हैं। लेकिन भारत आपकी दुकान नहीं है। भारत हमारा है, इस देश के लोगों का है। आप अपने पैसे से पार्टियों को खरीद सकते हैं, नेताओं को खरीद सकते हैं लेकिन भारत को हम बिकने नहीं देंगे।


आपका कहना है कि हमारे द्वारा कही गई बातों का सीधा प्रसारण करने से टी.वी. चैनलों ने आपकी मानहानि की। आप सोचकर देखिए कि आपकी मानहानि मैंने, प्रशांत भूषण और टी.वी. चैनलों ने की है या आपने अपनी मानहानि खुद अपने कर्मों से की है?


1. 2002 में आपने सरकार से ''फुल मोबिलिटी लेने के लिए प्रमोद महाजन को रिश्वत दी। 55 रुपये प्रति शेयर के भाव वाले एक करोड़ शेयर आपने प्रमोद महाजन को 1 रुपये प्रति शेयर के हिसाब से दे दिए। ये तो सीधी रिश्वत थी। जब आप पकड़े गए तो आपने शेयर वापस ले लिए। मामला अभी कोर्ट में है। क्या ऐसा करने से आपकी मानहानि नहीं हुई?


2. आपने अपना बहुमंजिला मकान 'वक्फ' के ज़मीन पर बनाया है। इस ज़मीन पर अनाथालय बनना था। गरीब और अनाथ मुस्लिम बच्चों के हक को छीना है आपने। क्या ऐसा करने से आपकी मानहानि नहीं हुई?


3. सन 2000 में आपको देश के गैस के कुछ कुएं दिए गए। आपकी जिम्मेदारी थी कि आप इसमें से गैस निकाल कर भारत सरकार को दें। गैस हमारी थी, इस देश के लोगों की। हम उस गैस के मालिक हैं। आपकी हैसियत केवल एक ठेकेदार की थी। आपको गैस के कुएं केवल गैस निकालने के लिए दिए गए थे। लेकिन आप चतुराई से मालिक बन बैठें। सरकार को आपने गैस 'बेचनी' चालू कर दी। सरकार पर दबाव डालकर आपने गैस के दाम बढ़ाने चालू कर दिए। चूंकि कांग्रेस आपकी दुकान है तो कांग्रेस पार्टी हमेशा आपकी दादागिरी के सामने झुकती नज़र आई। अकसर आपके दबाव में कांग्रेस गैस के दाम बढ़ाती गई और देश के लोग हाहाकार करते रहे। आपकी वजह से बिजली, खाद और रसोईगैस महंगी होती गई। लेकिन जब पानी सर से ऊपर हो गया तो श्री जयपाल रेडडी जी ने आपका विरोध् किया। उस समय श्री जयपाल रेडडी देश के तेल मंत्री थे। उन्होंने आपके दबाव में न आकर गैस के दाम और बढ़ाने से मना कर दिया। आपने श्री जयपाल रेडडी जी का ही तबादला करा दिया। आपकी हरकतों की वजह से देश में कई वस्तुएं महंगी हो रही हैं और जनता कराह रही है। क्या यह सब हरकतें आपको शोभा देती हैं? क्या इन हरकतों से आपकी मानहानि नहीं होती?


इस किस्म के आपके बेइमानी के कामों की लिस्ट बहुत लंबी है।


इस देश के अधिकतर व्यवसायी, कारोबारी, उद्योगपति ईमानदारी से काम करना चाहते हैं। लेकिन आज की व्यवस्था उन्हें बेइमानी करने पर मजबूर करती है। पर आपके जैसे उद्योगपति जब खुलेआम व्यवस्था का दुरुपयोग अपने फायदे के लिए करते हैं तो इससे सारे उद्योग और व्यवसाय पर काला धब्बा लगता है।


एक तरफ आप हैं, आपके पास पैसा है। दूसरी तरफ इस देश की जनता है। जनता अब जाग गई है। जनता के अंदर जुनून है। इतिहास गवाह है कि जब-जब पैसे और जुनून के बीच लड़ाई हुई है तो हमेशा जुनून जीता है।


मेरा आपसे निवेदन है कि देश के मीडिया को धमकाने की कोशिश न करें। मीडिया में चंद लोग ऐसे हो सकते हैं जिन्होंने खुद गलत काम किए हों। ऐसे मीडियाकर्मी शायद आपके दबाव में आ जाएं। लेकिन आज भी अधिकांश पत्रकार देश के लिए काम करते हैं। वो आपके दबाव में नहीं आने वाले। इतिहास गवाह है कि जब-जब देश की न्यायपालिका, कार्यपालिका और विधायिका चरमराती नज़र आई तो, ऐसे ही पत्रकारों ने लोकतंत्र को जिंदा रखा। कुछ ऐसे मीडिया घराने हैं जिनमें सीधे या परोक्ष रूप से आपका पैसा लगा है। हो सकता है ऐसे घराने आपके दबाव में आ जाएं, पर इन घरानों में काम करने वाले पत्रकार आपके दबाव में नहीं आने वाले।


आपका क्या सपना है? क्या आप बेइमानी से दुनिया के सबसे धनवान व्यक्ति बनना चाहते हैं? मान लीजिए आप इस देश की सारी दौलत के मालिक बन जाए। क्या इससे आपको खुशी मिलेगी? खुशी अधिक से अधिक धन अर्जित करने से नहीं मिलती। बल्कि त्याग करने से मिलती है। आज आप एक ऐसे मुकाम पर खड़े हैं कि यदि आप बेइमानी से व्यवसाय करना छोड़ दें और अपनी सारी दौलत देश के लोगों के विकास में लगा दें तो यह देश आपको कभी नहीं भूलेगा।


(अरविंद केजरीवाल)


Aadhaar is an assault on democratic rights

Budget Speech supports constitutionally invalid biometric Aadhaar, a fish bait to trap poor in database for Big Data companies

Parliamentary Committee trashes storage of UIDAI's data on cloud, violation of citizen's right to privacy

Outrageously metadata collection by NSA deemed acceptable and tolerable by Congress led Govt

illegal, illegitimate 12 digit biometric identifier number, aadhaar is an assault on democratic rights

17 February, 2014: Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented Interim Budget 2014 expressing his support for legally and electorally questionable biometric identification scheme branded as aadhaar number. The total budgetary allocations made for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) since its inception up to 31 March 2014 is Rs5, 440.30 crore. In a context where arguments against the scheme are underway in the Supreme Court facing robust legal challenge such

support is aimed at presenting fait accompli to the court. In a significant development, petitions have been filed by individuals seeking to 'opt out' of the scheme in which they enrolled under some mistaken belief.

Chidambaram said,

"However, let me reiterate that the Government remains fully committed to Aadhaar under which 57 crore unique numbers have been issued so far and to opening bank accounts for all Aadhaar holders in order to promote financial inclusion. Who needs Aadhaar? It is those who are at the bottom of the pyramid, the poor, the migrant workers, the homeless, and the oppressed who need Aadhaar, and we will ensure that they get Aadhaar. I have no doubt that in course of time even critics of Aadhaar will realise that Aadhaar is a tool of empowerment."

The moment those who have been issued these biometric numbers come to know of its risk and its pernicious implications, they are likely to 'opt out' of the unique identity (UID) number scheme too. Notably, he seems to maintain a conspiratorial silence about issuance of aadhaar number through Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) as if it is a fall back option in case the Court declares UIDAI as unconstitutional.

This claim of Chidambaram is an exercise in sophistry and is nothing but false bravado after the resounding defeat in the assembly elections of UP, MP, Delhi, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The electoral verdict is against aadhaar. Democracies world over have voted against intrusive and bullying identification schemes unleashed by the ID card cartels of big data companies.

Notably,the schedule for 17 February 2014 in Rajya Sabha had eight items listed for the legislative business. This list dated, 13 February 2014 was been signed by Shumsher K Sheriff, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha. The last item mentions The National Identification Authority of India (NIDAI) Bill to be re-introduced. It is meant to legalise biometric data collector, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)'s work done since 28 January 2009. This Bill was trashed and rejected by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in its report to both the Houses of Parliament. This exercise

by this lame duck minority government led by Indian National Congress is manifestly insincere. The scheme is in limbo following electoral and defeat and differences within various ministries.

The item No8 in the legislative business reads "RAJEEV SHUKLA to move that Bill to provide for the establishment of The National Identification Authority of India for the purpose of issuing identification numbers to individuals residing in India and to certain other classes of individuals and manner of authentication of such individuals to facilitate access to benefits and services to such individuals to which they are entitled and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, be taken into consideration." Rajeev Shukla is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Planning.

It is relevant to pay heed to the observations and recommendations, 25 member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology in its 88 page report on Cyber Crime, Cyber Security and Right to Privacy dated February, 2014 in this regard. It states, "the Committee is extremely unhappy to note that the Government is yet to institute a legal framework on privacy. When asked about the status of the above legislation, the Department has diverted the issue stating that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is still in the process of evolving legislation to address concerns of privacy, in general, and it is still at the drafting stage. The Committee seriously feels that in view of enormous data, very sensitive in nature, being consigned to cyber space each day particularly in the light of Government's visionary UIDAI programme, the Government should not jeopardise the privacy of citizens on the plea that the Department is concerned only with Section 43(A) which it is based on self-regulation." It refers to 43 (A) of Information Technology Act.

The realissue of unhappiness of citizens is why shouldUID/Aadhaar programme and National Population Register (NPR) be proposed and executed prior to the legal framework for safeguarding right to privacy? How can this Committee feign ignorance of the fact that far from UIDAI programme being "visionary", it lacks the legal mandate to be brought into operations? Perhaps, the word has been used to underline the irony.

The report aptly states, "The Committee observes that National e-Governance Programme (NeGP) is one of the ambitious projects of the Government and the Department is planning to use 'Cloud computing' for e-Governance Programmesand for storing its data. The Committee also note that the Government of India has recently published GI Cloud (Meghraj) – 'Strategic Direction Paper' and 'Adoption and implementation Roadmap' as a part of this Cloud initiative, which prescribes the precautions, standards and guidelines on security addressing the various challenges and risks and gives more clear dimension to the timelines of implementation. With regard to the usage of 'Cloud computing', the Committee in their Twenty-seventh Report (2011-12), had expressed apprehensions about technological and legal

challenges associated with the concept of 'shared platform' and had recommended the Department to conduct a study/survey to find out the existing scenario nationally and internationally and be prepared with a mechanism to deal with the risks associated with the usage of Cloud computing and be vigilant about such emerging technologies. However,

the Committee is surprised to note that though NeGP has entered seventh year of its implementation, the Department has neither conducted any study/survey in this regard nor has any data on instances of cyber security breaches encountered in e-Governance projects. The Committee feel that NeGP being a visionary project of the Government, the Department should not show any laxity. The Committee, therefore, recommend the Department to conduct a study/survey to find out the instances of cyber security breaches in NeGP projects. While cautioning the Department to be extra vigilant with the usage of the new technology 'cloud' which is still at a nascent stage, the Committee desire that the Department would stick to their assurance of keeping security issues on priority, particularly, in the implementation of e-Governance projects and make the programme foolproof."

The report has revealed that the Government has jeopardized the privacy of citizens through UIDAI's biometric identification exercise. In that case how is that the Committee mentions Government's UIDAI programme as "visionary". Given the fact that the UIDAI's data is admittedly stored on cloud, the fact that government ignored Committee's apprehensions on the usage of 'Cloud computing', the concept of 'shared platform' and the risks associated with the usage

of Cloud computing in the 5th year of the implementation of Aadhaar unmindful of cyber security breaches encountered in e-Governance projects, the government merited strong criticism. Instead of censuring the Government and making it accountable, the Committee only expresses surprise. But in its own mild way, this Committee has also trashed government's unpardonable callousness towards the security ramifications of storing UID/Aadhaar data on cloud and the failure to enact a legal framework for right to privacy. As has been done with right to privacy, although the government admitted the need of enacting a legal framework for UIDAI, its tenure is about to end without enacting it.

At page no. 46-47, the report Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology that examined the work of Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, asked about the surveillance by National Security Agency (NSA) of USA. It states that in the context of privacy of data, the Committee desired to know the Department's stand on the issue of surveillance by US and interception of data sent through e-mails. To this, J Satyanarayana, Secretary, DeitY, responded during the evidence as under:-

"Sir, about the US surveillance issue, there has been a debate, as you are aware, this morning in the Rajya Sabha itself and the hon. Minister has addressed this issue. He also emphasised that as far as the Government data and Government mails are concerned, the policy, the copy of which I have given to the Committee earlier, is going to address a large part of it. Hopefully, by the end of this year, if it is implemented, the things will be absolutely safe and secure…x.x.x.x…In the reply, the Hon. Minister also said that we have expressed our serious concern about the reported leakages and in the name of surveillance, the data that has been secured from various private sources, internet resources by the US Government. We have expressed it formally to the Government of the US and also during the Secretary of State's visit a few weeks ago in India, this has been reinforced on a person to person basis. We have been assured that whatever data has been gathered by them for surveillance relates only to the metadata. It has been reiterated and stated at the highest level of the US President that only the metadata has been accessed, which is, the origin of the message and the receiving point, thedestination and the route through which it has gone, but not the actual content itself. This has been reiterated by them, but we expressed that any incursion into the content will not be tolerated and is not tolerable from Indian stand and point of view. That has been mentioned very clearly and firmly by our Government."

In effect, the Indian National Congress-led government has formally communicated to Government of US that India has no problem if they conduct surveillance for metadata in fact it is acceptable and tolerable but "incursion into the content will not be tolerated and is not tolerable."

An Urdu couplet- hum woh hai jo khat ka mazmoon bhaap lete hai lifafa dekhkar (we are those who can assess the content of letter by merely looking at the envelop)-captures the message from USA what Congress party in particular and the political class in general have missed.

Such faith in Government of USA's empty words is akin to Jawaharlal Nehru's gullibility with regard to designs of Chinese government that led to the humiliating defeat of India in 1962 and Mir Jafar's touching 'innocence' about the deeper designs of British East India Company that compelled him to switch sides in the battle of Plassey in 1757.

The Parliamentary Committee observes,

"While taking note of the Department's stand on the recent instances of surveillance and interception of data (though only meta-data) by other countries, that incursion into the content of the country's data will not be tolerated, the Committee is of the strong opinion that the Department should have exercised enough caution so that such a situation was not allowed to occur at the first instance. Further, the Committee feels that the Department should be extremely vigilant and cautious in terms of safety as well as in terms of policy with different countries so as to avoid such leakage and interception of sensitive data in the name of surveillance. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends the Department to take remedial measures and come out with a policy which should be implemented stringently so as to obviate recurrence of such instances."

This report was presented to both the Houses of Parliament on 12 February 2014. It reveals that Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Computer Emergency Response Team, US (US-CERT), Japanese Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (JP-CERT/CC), National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), South Korea, Computer Emergency Response Team, Mauritius (CERT Mauritius, Computer Emergency Response Team, Kazakhstan (CERT Kazakhstan) and Government of Finland for international cyber security cooperation arrangements. Department of Electronics and Information Technology have signed a MoU with Canada in ICT and Electronics sector. The Department, with the help of Ministry of External Affairs, is having engagement dialogue with several countries such as Malaysia, Israel, Egypt, Canada and Brazil on cyber security incidents and vulnerabilities in IT products and systems.

Edward Snowden has disclosed that several of the countries like Canada, South Korea and others, with whom the MoU has been signed, are in the intelligence bartering/sharing alliance with the US, prior to India's independence.

While presenting the Union Budget 2009-10, the then Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee had announced the setting up of the UIDAI by the Government to "establish an online data base with identity and biometric details of Indian residence and provide enrolment and verification services across the country." He had allocated Rs120 crore for this project as "a major step in improving governance with regard to delivery of public services."

The Minister did not inform the Parliament that UIDAI "was created during 2009-10 and a modest start with an expenditure of Rs30.92 crore was made." Parliament has been kept in dark about how Unique Identification (UID) /Aadhaar Numbers to every resident in India started unfolding without sharing "the linkages of various welfare schemes steered by different Ministries/departments of Government of India".

The Parliament remains unaware about how UIDAI selected the "Managed Service Provider" for the Central Identity Data Repository (CIDR) of biometric UID/Aadhaar numbers. For this, a budget of Rs1900 crores was allocated in the Union Budget 2010-11 by the Finance Minister. It is admitted that "CIDR will be handed over to the Managed Service Provider (MSP) on a long term contract basis."

Economic Survey 2011-12 claimed,

"The Aadhaar project is set to become the largest biometric capture and identification project in the world." It is admitted by UIDAI that there are "ownership risks (Ownership of the project by stakeholders), Technology risks (nowhere in the world a project of this size has been implemented) and privacy concerns (there may be groups raising privacy issues – many ID Projects in western countries have been stalled due to the opposition of privacy groups)."

The UIDAI claims that it is "putting into place the risk mitigation strategies to minimize some of these risks" but this has never been shared with the Parliament and the citizens.

Union Budget speech 2012-13 under the heading Growth, Fiscal Consolidation and Subsidies reads:

"23. The recommendations of the task force headed by Shri Nandan Nilekani on IT strategy for direct transfer of subsidy have been accepted…This step will benefit 12 crore farmer families, while reducing expenditure on subsidies by curtailing misuse of fertilizers." Such claims of benefits from direct transfer of subsidy has been debunked in the past, but government remains

adamant to pursue this path under the influence of vested interests. The Ministry of Planning, in their Action Taken Reply has been quoted as having stated that "UIDAI has been authorized to enroll 60 crore residents by March 2014 through the multiple registrar approach. As against this, UIDAI has enrolled 36.58 crore residents and a further 10.94 crore residents have been enrolled by RGI. Total enrolments by the end of June 2013 is 47.52 crore. The total Aadhaar generation up to the end of June 2013 is 37.37 crore……The average cost per card is estimated to range between Rs100 to Rs157″ in October 2013 report of PSC to the Parliament. The total budgetary allocations made for UIDAI since its inception up to 31 March 2014 is Rs5, 440.30 crore, as per details given below:

S.No Financial Year Amount (Rs. crore)

1. 2009-10 25.65*

2. 2010-11 268.41*

3. 2011-12 1187.52*

4. 2012-13 1338.72*

5. 2013-14 2620.00^

TOTAL 5440.30

*Actual Expenditure, ^ Budget Estimates

The budget of this project comes under the ministry of planning. The budgetary support to Aadhaar was increased by 47% to Rs1,758 crore in 2012-13 from Rs1,200 crore in 2011-12 for UIDAI to enroll Indian

residents for their unique IDs/Aadhaar to 60 crore from 20 crore. A provision of Rs2,620 crore has been allocated in Budget Estimate (2013-14) for UIDAI and a major part of the budget provision for Rs1,040 crore is earmarked for 'Enrolment Authentication and Updation', out of which Rs1,000 crore has been earmarked under the head 'other charges'. What is this "other charges"? Besides this what is the justification of Planning Commission undertaking enrolment of 60 crore Indian residents under UID and

Ministry of Home Affairs enrolling 61 crores under NPR. Is the Congress-led government running two similar projects with public money to merely satisfy the anonymous donors of the party? The 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance examined and censured on numerous occasions. In its April 2013 report on UIDAI (Sixty-Ninth Report) observes, "The Committee is concerned to note that during the last three financial years (up to January, 2013), a huge sum of Rs2,342 crore has been spent on the Scheme and Rs2,620 crore has been allocated in BE 2013-14, out of which Rs1,040 crore is earmarked for 'Enrolment Authentication and Updation' pending legislative sanction of the Scheme. The Committee strongly feels that in the absence of legislation, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is discharging its functions without any legal basis."

As of 1 February 2014, the members of the Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India (CCUIDAI) related issues that oversee the project include Dr Manmohan Singh, Sharad Pawar, P Chidambaram, Sushilkumar Shinde, Kapil Sibal, Girija Vyas and Jairam Ramesh. After it came to light in a cabinet meeting that these ministers themselves were not clear as to whether biometric identifier number branded as Aadhaar refers to a card or a number, the Group of

Ministers (GoM) regarding 'Issue of Resident Identity Cards' to all usual residents of the country of age 18 years and above under the scheme of National Population Register (NPR) was constituted to look for an answer, it seems. The Terms of Reference of this GoM is to "examine all aspects relating to the proposal for issuing Resident Identity Cards to the usual residents of the country, keeping in view all relevant issues and finalize its recommendations at an early date." This GoM on Resident Identity Cards has an ulterior motive of outwitting opposition parties because during Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, the same was proposed. It is an exercise to create an illusion of bipartisan support.

It is quite astounding that none of the members of CCUIDAI or the GoM members, be it AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushilkumar Shinde, Ajit Singh, Kapil Sibal, Praful Patel, V Kishore Chandra Deo or Jairam Ramesh have got themselves enrolled for either UID/Aadhaar or NPR. Notably, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the political patrons of the project have chosen not to enroll and baptize themselves with so-called right to identity to them. Pranab Mukheree, who fathered the project and declares how he set it rolling in his bio-data is also conspicuous by refraining from enrolment like LK Advani, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Prakash Karat, Nitish Kumar or

Arvind Kejriwal. None of the known editors of print and electronic media have enrolled themselves for it. No known social worker, be it Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy or Sandeep Pandey have endorsed it. No known judges, lawyers, jurists or academicians of the country have got themselves biometrically profiled under the project. In fact acclaimed scholars like Ashis Nandy have referred to UID number as prison number. Likes of whistleblowers such as AK Jain and Press Council of India member, Arun Kumar have debunked it. This demonstrates that the project does not enjoy the confidence of the senior most politicians, judges, scholars, activists and the legal fraternity of the country.

From among the political class only those who appear innocent of deeper politics like Raj Thackeray, Arjun Munda and Narendra Modi have been conned into it.

The Supreme Court is hearing the case challenging the constitutionality of UIDAI for collection of biometric data and

demographic data of residents of Indian in order to create a Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) of 12 digit biometric unique identification (UID)/aadhaar number on a regular basis.

Be it Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, Tamil Nadu or Gujarat, State's failure to tame violence based on parochial regionalism, casteism and communalism does not inspire confidence. The plight of migrant students and workers across the country is a chilling reminder. In such a context, State cannot be trusted with the centralized database

of personal sensitive information of residents and citizens of India. This entails end of privacy and security of sovereign citizens in the way Nazi party of Germany had envisaged. State has failed to stop violence against compatriots from North-Eastern states in Delhi and north Indians in Assam. Chidambaram's crocodile tears for "poor, migrant workers, the homeless, and the oppressed" is one of the least convincing statement he ever made in his political career.

The Contempt Petition (Civil) No. 144/2014 besides Writ Petition (Civil) No. 494 of 2012, W.P(C) No. 829 of 2013, W.P. (C) No. 932/2013, T.C. (C) No. 152/2013, T.C. (C) No. 151/2013 and W.P. (C) No. 833/2013 is being heard in the Supreme Court. Ministry of Petroleum, its oil companies and Congress ruled States have committed contempt by making aadhaar mandatory despite Court's order of September 23, 2013 and November 26, 2013.

In such a scenario, any further allocation for UIDAI in the interim budget, 2014-15 which "is discharging its functions without any legal basis" will be yet another act of contempt towards Parliament and citizens' democratic rights. The proposal to re-introduce the NIDAI Bill is a disingenuous exercise mocking parliamentary process at the fag end of the 5-year term after the execution of the project, which seems aimed at creating a charade of trying to create a legal basis

for indefensible UIDAI.

Attempts are underway to make this 'online" demographic and biometric database cloud irreversible and ubiquitous so that it can be the cow, which can be milked until the sun sets on national and transnational patrons of Congressmen, their acolytes and outsourcing companies. Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) has been campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010 and has petitioned and given testimonies and written submission to parliamentary committees and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this regard.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), Mb: 08227816731, 09818089660, Email:gopalkrishna1715@gmail.com


Hemant Meshram

The AADHAR Scam in Mumbai....Black Marketers on Camera-TV9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caVpwSVh5gA

The AADHAR Scam in Mumbai....Black Marketers on Camera-TV9

youtube.com

Aadhar card scheme which has just begun in Mumbai is in it's grave share of controversies with black marketing of the card where one does not even having the...

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Hemant Meshram

Aadhar Card Scam all over Maharashtra-TV9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP1ECP3UM4I

Aadhar Card Scam all over Maharashtra-TV9

youtube.com

Aadhar Card Scam Spread in Pune ,Mumbai,Maharashtra and India...

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Hemant Meshram

Aadhaar ID: Number or nuisance?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-PjmuRZKcE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-PjmuRZKcE

youtube.com

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Hemant Meshram

The Big Picture - AADHAAR imbroglio: How will it affect the Govt. schemes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMkmWQgJGjc

The Big Picture - AADHAAR imbroglio: How will it affect the Govt. schemes?

youtube.com

Guests: Shailaja Chandra (Former Chief Secretary, Government of Delhi) ; Biraj Patnaik (Principal Advisor to the Commissioners to the Supreme Court...

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Hemant Meshram

Watch What Is Happenning With Your Identity & Privacy ?

UID: Interview with Usha Ramanathan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4rUKtpQ0dY

UID: Interview with Usha Ramanathan

youtube.com

Interview with Usha Ramanathan on the Universal Identification Scheme (UID) currently introduced in India. interview by Nityanand Jayaram director: Ajit Tham...

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Hemant Meshram

Indian CItizenship For Sale @ Only 500 Rs.

Madarchodo is project ke core technology ka janak mai hu , tumhari aur Nandan Nilekani ki marta hu court me , tel laga kar rahiyo .

Salo jis purpose ke liye ye project banya janewal tha usi purpose ki lag rahe ho ! apni ma , bahno ko bhi bechoge kya ? be ready

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnbRc3hUqWY

Watch Aadhar Card Sting operation live on India News. Accused arrested Live on Camera.

youtube.com

India News: A person make fake Aadhar card for a mere Rs. 500 and give you a fake aadar card Watch Aadhar Card Sting operation live on India News....

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Hemant Meshram

Why Mahatma Gandhi would have burnt Aadhar cards?

Is Nandan Nilekani PM candidate of congress ?

http://www.niticentral.com/2014/01/15/why-mahatma-gandhi-would-have-burnt-aadhar-cards-179470.html

Why Mahatma Gandhi would have burnt Aadhar cards

niticentral.com

Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is likely to contest the Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket from South Bangalore constituency. Meanwhile, the fate of the UIDAI -- which Nilekani...

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Hemant Meshram

SC begins final hearing on constitutional validity of Aadhaar

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sc-begins-final-hearing-on-constitutional-validity-of-aadhaar/449942-3.html

SC begins final hearing on constitutional validity of Aadhaar

ibnlive.in.com

The Supreme Court on Tuesday began the final hearing on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar card with those opposing the mega project saying it was not backed by any statute and compromises with...

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Hemant Meshram

Supreme Court asks states to respond on Aadhaar validity

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Supreme-Court-asks-states-to-respond-on-Aadhaar-validity/articleshow/26437100.cms

Supreme Court asks states to respond on Aadhaar validity - The Times of India

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The Supreme Court sought responses of all states in two weeks on the constitutional validity of the nationwide scheme being implemented by the Unique Identification Authority of India.

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Hemant Meshram

Kolkata – Protest against "Adhar" Project

http://sanhati.com/articles/4052/

Kolkata – Protest against "Adhar" Project, Aug 24 at Sanhati

sanhati.com

EVENT : SAY NO TO BIOMETRIC UID CARD ADHAR VENUE: STUDENTS HALL, COLLEGE SQUARE DATE : AUGUST 24,...

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Hemant Meshram

Government Delinked Aadhar – LPG Cylinder: Number of Subsidy Cylinders Increased - See more at:http://www.aegindia.org/2014/02/government-delinked-aadhar-lpg-cylinder-number-of-subsidy-cylinders-increased/2142717.html#sthash.yQNLYx7L.dpuf

Government Delinked Aadhar – LPG Cylinder: Number of Subsidy Cylinders Increased | AEG India

aegindia.org

Government Delinked Aadhar – LPG Cylinder: Number of Subsidy Cylinders IncreasedTweetEmailTweetEmailGovernment Delinked Aadhar – LPG Cylinder: Number of Subsidy Cylinders IncreasedSubsidy LPG is...

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Hemant Meshram

UID Aadhaar project is said to be "not mandatory - Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd)

http://www.asiantribune.com/node/61397

UID Aadhaar project is said to be "not mandatory - Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd) | Asian Tribune

asiantribune.com

Though UID Aadhaar project is said to be "not mandatory", it appears to be aimed squarely at being made non-optional, and is being forced on the...

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Boycott UID/Aadhaar Number

By Gopal Krishna

27 September, 2011

Countercurrents.org

This is to appeal to you and to draw your most urgent attention towards the world's biggest database project unfolding through Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar Number in India without legislative approval since January 2009. It is about a 12-digit identification number which is linked to the National Population Register (NPR), Census and National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) under Home Ministry among other initiatives.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia and P. Chidambaram have recommended the cut in the budget of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) because of "unnecessary spending" by it. UIDAI operates under the same Planning Commission that has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in the PUCL vs Union of India & Others wherein it has said that any citizen who spends more than Rs 965 per month in urban India (around Rs.32 per day) and Rs 781 in rural India (around Rs.26 per day) "at June 2011 price level" would be considered not to be poor. It is the same agency that claims that UID scheme is for providing social services to the poor.

The UIDA had asked for Rs 3,500 cr for 2012-13, but the Planning Commission has recommended a figure of Rs 1,400 cr. UIDA was given Rs 3,000 cr for fiscal 2011-2012. The proposal has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for final approval.

The Ministry of Home Affairs wants to curb UID/Aadhaar Number's scope to promote its own National Population Register (NPR), which is tasked to collect information about Indian citizens in a similar manner. At present both UIDAI under Nandan Manohar Nilekani and NPR under C Chandramouli, the Census Commissioner are collecting demographic details along with biometric data. In a classic case of pretending ignorance the Ministry of Home Affairs has questioned the legality of UIDAI. "Until the NIAI Bill 2010, is passed by parliament the UIDA does not become an authority, and should not be allowed to function so independently". The fact is Union Home Minister is a member of the Cabinet Committee on UID Authority and related matters and he was also the member of the Empowered Group of Ministers that decided both the initiative of NPR and UID. Revealing the sad state of affairs even without the passage of any legislation from the Parliament, UIDA has issued 1 crore UID/Aadhaar Numbers and plans to issue 60 crore UID/Aadhaar Number by 2014.

This project has been implemented in Pakistan under its Home Ministry. In India, NATGRID Chief Executive Officer, Capt Raghu Raman has proposed intervention of commercial czars and creation of private territorial armies in a a document titled "A Nation of Numb People".

It may be noted that ASSOCHAM, representing 3 lakh companies and KPMG, a Swiss consultancy have underlined the ramifications of UID number in their report titled "Homeland Security in India".. Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Annual Report, 2010 claims NATGRID will be started in 2011 after "approval from the competent authority (Union cabinet)". When Hard News, a news magazine asked Nilekani about the relationship of UID/Aadhaar Number, his response was "No comments".

It may be noted that we already have at least 15 identity proofs including Voter I card. What creates a compelling logic for a 16th identity proof?

Providing bio-metric data like finger prints of ten fingers, iris scan etc for the identification number to public and private institutions is akin to wearing a radio collar. This is an act of subjecting oneself to constant surveillance which in itself is a dehumanizing act. How can students submit themselves to such indignity unthinkingly.

It is quite alarming that the enrollment for it has started where gullible citizens and even chief ministers are queuing up for it not knowing its dangerous implications. Similar identification schemes have been rejected by in China, UK, Phillipines, Australia and USA. Pakistan has been awarded for the successful implementation of identification project. According to World Bank, it is unfolding in 14 developing countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda.

The National Identification Authority of India (NIAI) Bill, 2010 for UID/Aadhaar Number is pending with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. We have given testimony to it. Its classic case of putting the cart before the horse wherein the project precedes the legislation. The Bill does not define bio-metric data implying that it could include DNA profiling and voice identification. Section 57 of the Bill reveals that the Indian National Congress led UPA government holds Parliament in contempt. It is also linked to several other proposed legislations and initiatives.

Bio-metric identification based UID/Aadhaar Number for residents of India is essentially a surveillance project which will last for centuries to come. It is an assault on the human rights of present and future citizens of India. It is being bulldozed down our throats at behest of US bio-metric technology companies which manifestly work with intelligence agencies. This will neutralize political resistance in India to a huge extent. It will ensure profiling of minorities of all ilk for good.

The entire data base of UID/Aadhaar Number will be stored in a Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) which will be handed over to US based security, intelligence and bio-metric technology companies like Accenture Services Pvt Ltd and L1 Identities Solution Pvt Ltd as per a contract awarded to them on July 30, 2010. It is germane to recollect that Wikileaks' latest disclosure reveals that former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak had transferred the identity database of Egyptians to US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Is it not relevant to this so called e-governance initiative of UPA Government?.

I also wish to draw your considered attention towards the manifesto titled "2083: A European Declaration of Independence" brought out by Norwegian gunman and neo-Crusader, Anders Behring Breivik who carried out the heinous attacks on his fellow citizens. This 1500 page manifesto refers to the word "identity" over 100 times, "unique" over 40 times and "identification" over 10 times. There is reference to "state-issued identity cards", "converts' identity cards", "identification card", "fingerprints", "DNA" etc. The words in this manifesto give a sense of deja vu.

In a significant development following rigorous deliberations, an Indian development support organization founded in 1960, Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) has disassociated itself from UID Number project which was being undertaken under Mission Convergence in Delhi. Withdrawal of IGSSS that works in 21 states of the country across four core areas India: Sustainable Livelihood, Youth Development, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Urban Poverty merits the attention of all the states and civil society organisations especially those who are unwittingly involved in the UID Number enrollment process.

In its withdrawal letter IGSSS said, "we will not be able to continue to do UID enrolment, as we discussed in the meeting of 10th May 2011." It added, it is taking step because `it's hosted under the rubric of UNDP's "Innovation Support for Social Protection: Institutionalizing Conditional Cash Transfers" [Award ID: 00049804, Project: 00061073; Confer: Output 1, Target 1.2 (a) & Output 3 (a), (b)]. In fact we had no clue of this until recently when we searched the web and got this information.'

A Statement of Concern calling for halting of UID Number project was issued in September 2010 by 17 eminent citizens led by Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Prof. Romila Thapar, Late K.G.Kannabiran, Prof. Upendra Baxi, Bezwada Wilson, Late S.R.Sankaran, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Prof. Jagdeep Chhokar, Justice A.P.Shah among others at a Press Conference in New Delhi but corporate media chose to ignore it.

Let me also request you to forward this message to concerned legislators, lawyers, students, teachers and citizens for their perusal and consideration of this grave issue.

I can share more reference documents to enable the fellow citizens to adopt a resolution or issue a appeal calling for UID/Aadhaar Number boycott within our own states and spheres.

Gopal Krishna

Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)

ToxicsWatch Alliance

New Delhi

Email:krishna2777@gmail.com

Web: toxicswatch.blogspot.com

Delhi Residents, Unorganised And Informal Workers Face

Biometric Profiling By Aadhaar/UID

By Gopal Krishna

21 March, 2013

Countercurrents.org

A Sheila Dikshit's budget speech ignores Punjab & Haryana High Court order, ongoing case in Supreme Court & Parliamentary Committee recommendations. Adhaar/UID is an assault on privacy and citizens rights, it should be boycotted

New Delhi: Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister of Govt. of NCT of Delhi in her budget speech continues to promote biometric profiling by Aadhaar/Unique Identification (UID) number ignoring Punjab & Haryana High Court order, the ongoing case in Supreme Court, Parliamentary Committee recommendations, concerns of the National Human Rights Commission and protests by citizens. Delhi Government's decision to make 'voluntary' 12 digit number Aadhaar/UID number mandatory is an act of bullying which must be challenged, resisted and boycotted.

Seventeen eminent citizens including Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi and Justice VR Krishna Iyer, former judge, Supreme Court of India have asked for the halting of the Aadhaar/UID project. The entire government machinery is hiding the fact that fundamentally UID is not a proof of identity, it is an identifier contained in the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) of (UID)/Aadhaar Numbers.

The Aadhaar is unfolding through an undemocratic process and is primarily aimed at Surveillance, Profiling, Tracking and Convergence. The eminent citizen's statement read: "This is a project that could change the status of the people in this country, with effects on our security and constitutional rights, and a consideration of all aspects of the project should be undertaken with this in mind."

In her speech, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "While like the rest of the country we launched Direct Benefit transfer, which has Aadhar linked bank accounts at its core, we have gone further by utilising it for Annshree and Kerosene-free city schemes."

She added, "…we have succeeded in launching of new plan programmes of "Dilli Annshree Yojana". 31,617 beneficiaries of this scheme have been covered till mid-March under this Direct Benefit Transfer Aadhar-linked bank account scheme. Cash @ `600 per month has already been transferred to these beneficiaries with effect from April, 2012. Since our technology platform was being rolled out as a pilot, we were not been able to enrol all the eligible in the time frame prescribed. Hence, my government has decided to extend the period up to July 31st 2013, so that all who are enrolled by then would get the benefit from April 2012."

Referring to Dilli Swavalamban Yojana (DSY) for unorganised and informal sector in terms of numbers of workers and enterprises, a co-contributory pension scheme, in collaboration with the Swavalamban scheme of the Central Government, she said "We will make DSY Aadhar-linked and also ensure universal coverage."

In two specific orders dated December 18, 2012 and December 20, 2012, Revenue Department of the Delhi government has made Aadhaar mandatory for all citizens who want to access government services like "SC/SC Certificate, OBC Certificate, Domicile Certificate, Income Certificate, Birth Order, Death Order, Surviving Member Certificate, Solvency Certificate, Nationality Certificate, Registration of Marriages under Hindu Marriage Act, Registration of Marriages under Special Marriage Act, Solemnization of Marriages, Registration of various documents in the Sub Registrar's Office". The orders are attached. It is noteworthy that the official website of UIDAI has clearly mentioned that, Aadhaar enrolment is voluntary http://uidai.gov.in/what-is-aadhaar-number.html. The Aadhaar Enrollment Form which declares on the top of the form that it is voluntary is attached.

Opposition parties in Delhi appear complicit as they are not asking the glaring question: if Aadhaar is voluntary, why is government finding out ways and means to make it mandatory'?

Delhi citizens and opposition parties are being taken for ride. Congress-led Delhi government has asked the State Election Commission to have provisions for Aadhaar enrolments at the Voters' Registration Centres (VRCs) across the city and all 70 VRCs across the city are to provide single-window service by enrolling people for Aadhaar from February 25, 2013. Opposition parties should pay heed to the ramifications of some 200 venues in Delhi where Delhi residents are being enrolled for Aadhaar/UID.

In a setback to such undemocratic efforts to bulldoze Aadhaar/UID and related schemes, following the direction issued to the Union of India and Union Territory of Chandigarh by Punjab and Haryana High Court in the matter of Civil Writ Petition 569 of 2013 filed in the High Court against Union of India and others, the Executive Order for making Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar mandatory has been withdrawn. In its order the bench of Justice A K Sikri, Chief Justice and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain dated February 19, 2013 had not noted that the petition "raises a pure question of law." Since the Executive Order was withdrawn, the case too was disposed of March 2, 2013 with a two page order. The Order observes, "In this writ petition filed as PIL, the petitioner has challenged the vires of notification issued by Union of India for making it compulsory to have UID Cards."

It is further observed that "Second issue raised in this petition is that vide order dated 5.12.2012, respondent No.3 i.e. Deputy Commissioner, U.T., Chandigarh has given directions to the Branch In charge Registration-cum-Accountant, office of Registering & Licensing Authority, Chandigarh not to accept any application for registration of vehicle and grant of learner/regular driving licence without UID card." Union Territory of Chandigarh failed to inform the Court the UID is not a card but an identification number based on biometric data without any legal mandate. One of the prayers in the petition in Chandigarh had sought issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari to quash Executive order dated 5.12.2012 passed by respondent no.3 passed in violation of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 vide which UID has been mandatory for the registration of vehicles and grant of learner/ regular driving licence.


In a significant development, P. Karunakaran, Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation has accepted the petition with regard biometric data collection related to Planning Commission's Aadhaar/Unique Identification (UID) Number and Home Ministry's National Population Register (NPR) on March 18, 2013. The petition was submitted by Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), which as earlier given testimony before the Parliamentary Committee that has rejected the UID Bill. The petition before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Subordinate legislation draws attention towards how all the residents and citizens of India are being made subordinate to prisoner's status by the ongoing collection of their "biometric information" that includes finger prints, iris scan for permanent storage in a Centralized Identities Data Register (CIDR) and National Population Register (NPR). This is being done 'as per an approved strategy" by Planning Commission and Union Ministry of Home Affairs without any legal mandate.

In a related development, in an order date December 27, 2012 addressed to Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has communicated human rights concerns regarding UID and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) submitted to it by CFCL. Earlier, NHRC had expressed its deep concerns and apprehensions about UID and "biometric information" in its submission before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

In the matter of now rejected National Identification Authority of India (NIAI) Bill, 2010, "NHRC's views on the NIAI Bill, 2010″ in the Human Rights Newsletter (Vol. 18 No.8, August 2011) reveals that UID/Aadhaar Number has dangerous ramifications is quite relevant in this regard. NHRC's view was presented to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Finance. The PSC submitted its report to the Parliament on December 13, 2011 rejecting the UID Bill.

Echoing NHRC's view on "need for protection of information" and "the possibility of tampering with stored biometric information" in paragraph 5 (page no. 7 of the NHRC newsletter) and "disclosure of information in the interest of national security" mentioned in paragraph 9 (page no.8 of the newsletter).

On UID Number, the Draft Paper on Privacy Bill stated, "Data privacy and the need to protect personal information is almost never a concern when data is stored in a decentralized manner. Data that is maintained in silos is largely useless outside that silo and consequently has a low likelihood of causing any damage. However, all this is likely to change with the implementation of the UID Project. One of the inevitable consequences of the UID Project will be that the UID Number will unify multiple databases. As more and more agencies of the government sign on to the UID Project, the UID Number will become the common thread that links all those databases together. Over time, private enterprise could also adopt the UID Number as an identifier for the purposes of the delivery of their services or even for enrolment as a customer."

The Draft Paper on Privacy Bill discloses, "Once this happens, the separation of data that currently exists between multiple databases will vanish." This poses a threat to the identity of citizens and the idea of residents of the state as private persons will be forever abandoned.

In view of NHRC's observation that UID/Aadhaar number will lead to discrimination due to its distinction between residents and citizens in the name of "delivery of various benefits and services" and "weaker sections of society" is quite stark and merits attention of Delhi residents in particular. It has already been admitted that "There is no data protection statute in the country". In such a scenario gullible citizens are being made to submit their biometric information to illegal and illegitimate entities.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), Mb: 9818089660, (Delhi), E-mail: krishna1715@gmail.com

UID//Aadhaar Scheme Is Against Civil Liberties

By Gopal Krishna

23 November, 2010

Countercurrents.org

To

Shri Oscar Fernandes

Chairperson & Members

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources

New Delhi

Through

Deputy Secretary

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource

Subject-UID//Aadhaar Scheme is Against Civil Liberties

Sir,

This is with reference to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 27 October, 2010.

Given grave concerns voiced by eminent citizens and experts with impeccable records, we express our opposition to the signing of MoU between Ministry of Human Resource Development and the UIDAI. The MoU is aimed at tracking student's mobility by creating an electronic registry of all students, right from primary and elementary level to secondary and higher education. The fact that this would entail iris scanning for children aged between 5 and 15, while finger print marks would be added subsequently is highly invasive for it is act of profiling them even before their age of consent. This and the proposal to imprint UID number on performance records of individual students is a gross form of surveillance and constitute violation of their human rights of children and students.

The Unique Identity (UID) Number is a rare project which has unleashed the concept of massively organised information as means of social control, a weapon of war, and for the victimisation of ethnic groups, minorities and political adversaries. It appears that Nilekani, the co-founder and former chief executive of Infosys Technologies Ltd, India's second largest software company, has misled the key functionaries of Government of India into believing that he is deeply concerned about reaching the poorest of the poor with a 16-digit card (4 numbers are hidden?) to liberate them from poverty.

We wish to draw your attention towards the far-reaching consequences of the structural basis being laid out for future authoritarianism by providing a unique identification (UID) number to all the Indian citizens and even to residents in India.

It is claimed that this UID "scheme shall ensure that various development deliverables reach the poor and needy in time, shall enable better monitoring and help plug leakages." This claim of chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is suspect. Notably, social security numbers (SSN) were tattooed on US citizens before (first SSNs were issued in 1935) tattoos were used in Germany under the Nazi Party that facilitated the holocaust. The US numbering program was known as the "social security" program. The Unique Identity Number (UID) project in India is being promoted under the e-governance program. The German Nazi Party's tattoo program was operated by the social security division which had learnt it from US. Notably, social security numbers (SSN) were tattooed on US citizens before (first SSNs were issued in 1935) tattoos were used in Germany under the Nazi Party. The US numbering program was known as the "social security" program, or SS program. The Unique Identity Number (UID) project in India is being promoted under the e-governance program. The German Nazi Party's tattoo program was operated by the social security (SS) division which had learnt it from US. In fact, the infamous Auschwitz tattoo began as a number provided by IBM (International Business machines), a US multinational computer company. IBM now claims that it had no control over its subsidiaries in Germany after the Nazis took control of them. What if a similar situation emerged in India which is not unlikely after UID database is ready?

The National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 and the Unique Identity Number/Aadhaar is a blatant attack on democratic rights of citizens and natural resources. The Bill is expected to be introduced in the current session of the Parliament. The legislation poses one of gravest threat imaginable as far as citizens' right is concerned. It will damage citizens' sovereignty beyond repair and has the potential to cause holocaust like situation in future through profiling of minorities, political opponents and ethnic groups.

The Unique Identity Number (UID) /Aadhaar project gives a sense of déjà vu. It is the same path which IBM (International Business Machines), the world's largest technology company and the second most valuable global brand traversed for targeted asset confiscation, ghettoisation, deportation, and ultimately extermination with its punch card and card sorting system -- a precursor to the computer – that made the automation of human destruction possible. This is a matter of historical fact and not an opinion.

This proposed UID legislation authorizes the creation of a centralized database of unique identification numbers that will be issued to every resident of India but has failed to provide for provisions that precludes abuse of such a database for invading citizens' rights to privacy and freedom of choice by national and transnational corporations like Vedanta and IBM.

Besides pre-existing voter Identity card, Election Commission of India recognizes fourteen alternative documents as proof of identity. (The list of fourteen alternative documents available: http://ceobihar.nic.in/14%20Alternative%20Documents.pdf)

Citizens are not so gullible. They can see through the non-existence of any compelling and sane logic for 16th document as an identity proof. Aren't these pre-existing 15 identity proofs (based on which government claims its legitimacy after democratic election) sufficient!

The UID scheme is an opposite of Right to Information. The latter makes the government transparent before their masters, the citizens. The former makes the citizens transparent before their servant, the government. It is a fascist plan.

The fact is becoming clearer that UID scheme is a naked declaration of war on civil liberties and natural resources like land and water. It is noteworthy that before launching UID idea, Nandan Nilekani got India Water Portal launched. Civil liberties and natural resources like land and water will undergo massive commodification due to UID for it promotes property based democracy and holds progressive constitutional amendments in the preamble and on abolition of right to property regressive. He finds rights of citizens an impediment to blind industrial development because industrial development in the West happened in the absence of citizenship rights.

Amidst evident rampant corruption in corporate media starkly revealed in the matter of 2 G Spectrum scam and their earlier endorsements of likes of Ramalinga Raju of notorious for Satyam scam, the current endorsements by news channels and newspapers of UID scheme is highly suspect. The fact that they are reposing blind faith and persuading citizens too to do the same in a system that engineered 1947 riots, 1984 genocide, 2002 genocide and have unleashed chemical warfare on our natural system akin to ecological terrorism is quite touching!

The same system reveals its shady colours when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recommends in its report on the proposed Companies Bill to replace Companies Act 1956 that the maximum percentage for the political contributions per year by the companies be raised from 5 per cent 7.5 per cent of average net profits during the three immediately preceding financial years. Will such corporate funding of political parties serve their funders or the citizens of the country? This is contrary to the recommendations of the multi-party parliamentary committee under the chairmanship of Indrajit Gupta that had looked into the question of state funding of elections.

As election campaigns required huge amounts of money and the costs of routine political activity between elections are also substantial, political parties have become overly dependent on private contributions, often acquired through questionable means and usually on the basis of a quid pro quo. Business houses and entrepreneurs contribute funds to political parties and seek to influence government decisions through them. The Indrajit Gupta committee has said that the Government and Parliament should decide whether there should be any ban on donations by companies and corporate bodies for political purpose. UID idea is a result of un-accounted funding from private sources and Government and Parliament's indecision on banning corporate funding of political parties. Eternal vigilance is required for citizens' liberty to be safeguarded.

Information about citizens that is to be compiled as a database will be de-duplicated by technology firms like US company Accenture which has been selected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). They will provide technology solutions to capture the fingerprints and iris scans (known as biometrics) of the country's 1.2 billion people. Isn't sharing the citizens' database with a US company a threat to national security?

Accenture has said that under the terms of this initial contract, which will run up to two years or until 200 million enrollments (whichever comes first), it will build a new system to help manage identity-related de-duplication and verification requests from both public and private organisations. Accenture will also assist UIDAI in performance benchmarking and management of data quality for continuous improvement of the biometric solution, in addition to operating and maintaining the system.

If sale of citizens' data which is revenue information is acceptable and it indeed serves national interest, will someone reveal what constitutes the unacceptable and non-negotiable as far as citizens' rights and citizen based national sovereignty is concerned?

Nanadan Nilekani, chairperson, UIDAI refers to Hernando de Sotto's book 'The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else' in his book Imagining India authored to argue that national ID system would be a big step for land markets to facilitate right to property and undoing of abolition of right to property in 1978 in order to bring down poverty!

Among many questions that have emerged, one is: Has Nilekani, the Cabinet Minister taken the oath on constitution to abide by its provisions? While he is mutilating the rights of citizens and right to information, PDS, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act etc through his marketing gimmicks about the wonders of UID scheme, the fact is that even Mahatma Gandhi opposed a law similar to UID as a Black Act in South Africa from 1906 to 1914 saying,"...I have never known legislation of this nature being directed against free men in any part of the world. I know that indentured Indians in Natal are subject to a drastic system of passes, but these poor fellows can hardly be classed as free men" and "...giving of finger prints, required by the Ordinance, was quite a novelty in South Africa. With a view to seeing some literature on the subject, I read a volume on finger impressions by Mr. Henry, a police officer, from which I gathered that finger prints were required by law only from criminals."

In August 1906 the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance became law in the Transvaal. Any Indian who did not register by a certain date would no longer be allowed to stay in the Transvaal. This law stated that every Indian man, woman or child older than 8 years must register with a government official called the registrar of Asiatics. This registrar was to also take the fingerprints of the people he registered and issue them with registration certificates, which they had to show to any policeman who asked to see them. Notably, UID scheme too is based on biometric data like finger prints and iris scan.

In the face of such fascist attack on citizen's sovereignty, a statement has been issued by eminent citizens like Justice VR Krishna Iyer, Retired Judge, Supreme Court of India, Prof Romila Thapar, Historian, K.G.Kannabiran, Senior Civil Liberties Lawyer, Kavita Srivastava, PUCL and Right to Food Campaign, Aruna Roy, MKKS, Rajasthan, Nikhil Dey, MKKS, Rajasthan, S.R.Sankaran, Retired Secretary, Government of India, Upendra Baxi, Jurist and ex-Vice Chancellor of Universities of Surat and Delhi, Uma Chakravarthi, Historian, Shohini Ghosh, Teacher and Film Maker, Amar Kanwar, Film Maker, Bezwada Wilson, Safai Karamchari Andolan, Trilochan Sastry, IIMB, and Association for Democratic Reforms, Prof. Jagdish Chhokar, ex- IIMA, and Association for Democratic Rights, Shabnam Hashmi, ANHAD, Justice A.P.Shah, Retired Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi and Deep Joshi, Independent Consultant.


This statement has been endorsed by educationists like Prof. Anil Sadgopal and eminent jurists like Usha Ramnathan as well. The statement expresses great concern especially for those working on issues of food security, NREGA, migration, technology, decentralisation, constitutionalism, civil liberties and human rights. The process of setting up the Authority has resulted in very little, if any, discussion about this project and its effects and fallout. The documents on the UIDAI website, and a recent draft law (the National Identification Authority Bill, which is also on the website) do not provide answers to the many questions that are being raised in the public domain. This project is intended to collect demographic data about all residents in the country. It is said that it will impact on the PDS and NREGA programmes, and plug leakages and save the government large sums of money. It would, however, seem that even basic procedures have not been followed before launching on such a massive project.

Before it goes any further, we consider it imperative that the following be done:

• Do a feasibility study: There are claims made in relation to the project, about what it can do for PDS and NREGA, for instance, which does not reflect any understanding of the situation of the situation on the ground. The project documents do not say what other effects the project may have, including its potential to be intrusive and violative of privacy, who may handle the data (there will be multiple persons involved in entering, maintaining and using the data), who may be able to have access to the data and similar other questions.

• Do a cost: benefit analysis: It is reported that the UIDAI estimates the project will costs Rs 45,000 crores to the exchequer in the next 4 years. This does not seem to include the costs that will be incurred by Registrars, Enrollers, internal systems costs that the PDs system will have to budget if it is to be able to use the UID, the estimated cost to the end user and to the number holder.

• In a system such as this, a mere statement that the UIDAI will deal with the security of the data is obviously insufficient. How does the UIDAI propose to deal with data theft? If this security cannot be reasonably guaranteed, the wisdom of holding such data in a central registry may need to be reviewed.

• The involvement of firms such as Ernst & Young and Accenture raise further questions about who will have access to the data, and what that means to the people of India.

• Constitutionality of this project, including in the matter of privacy, the relationship between the state and the people, security and other fundamental rights.

Questions have been raised which have not been addressed so far, including those about –

• Undemocratic process: UIDAI was set-up via a GoI notification as an attached office of the Planning Commission without any discussion or debate in the Parliament or civil society. In the year and a half of its inception, the Authority has signed MoUs with virtually all states and UTs, LIC, Petroleum Ministry and many banks. In July, the Authority circulated the draft NIA Bill (to achieve statutory status); the window for public feedback was two weeks. Despite widespread feedback and calls for making all feedback public, the Authority has not made feedback available. Further in direct contravention to the process of public feedback, the NIA Bill was listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha 2010 monsoon session

• Privacy (It is only now that the DoPT is said to be working on a draft of a privacy law, but nothing is out for discussion even yet)

• Surveillance: where this technology, and the existence of the UID number, and its working, could result in increasing the potential for surveillance

• Profiling

• Tracking

• Convergence, by which those with access to state power, as well as companies, could collate information about each individual with the help of the UID number.

National IDs have been abandoned in the US, Australia and the newly-elected British government. The reasons have predominantly been: costs and privacy. If it is too expensive for the US with a population of 308 million, and the UK with 61 million people, and Australia with 21 million people, it is being asked why India thinks it can prioritise its spending in this direction. In the UK, the Home Secretary explained that they were abandoning the project because it would otherwise be `intrusive bullying' by the state, and that the government intended to be the `servant' of the people, and not their `master'. Is there a lesson in it for us?

In the late nineties, the Supreme Court of Philippines struck down the President's Executive Order A.O 308 which instituted a biometric based national ID system calling it unconstitutional on two grounds – the overreach of the executive over the legislative powers of the congress and invasion of privacy. The same is applicable in India – UIDAI has been constituted on the basis of a GoI notification and there is a fundamental risk to civil liberties with the convergence of UID, National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), National Population Register, National DNA Database etc.

The UIDAI is still at the stage of conducting pilot studies. The biometric pilot study has reportedly already thrown up problems especially among the poor whose fingerprints are not stable, and whose iris scans suffer from malnourishment related cataract and among whom the incidence of corneal scars is often found. The project is clearly still in its inception. The project should be halted before it goes any further and the prelude to the project be attended to, the public informed and consulted, and the wisdom of the project determined. The Draft Bill too needs to be publicly debated. This is a project that could change the status of the people in this country, with effects on our security and constitutional rights, and a consideration of all aspects of the project should be undertaken with this in mind.

Unmindful of massive opposition by citizens, the Union Cabinet cleared the introduction of the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 in Parliament on 24th September. This happened in a tearing hurry even as the NAC was examining the UID proposal. This was uncalled for and it provides robust grounds for scrutiny.

Not only that fearing the outcome of the NAC deliberations and its inferences, Nandan Nilekani avoided NAC to escape having to answer the questions about UID on 30th August, 2010. It appears that the chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has roped in Prime Minister to help him wriggle out by launching UID on 29th September in Maharashtra in order to present a fait accompli of sort to the NAC. In such circumstances, it is indeed a relief to know that the NAC is opposed to UID//Aadhar project.

It is quite sad that both the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI Authority and PM's Council are in such a great awe of a regressive idea that so far it has failed to examine the reasons of governments of US, Australia and UK to scrap similar projects. So much so that even as the Bill will be introduced in the Indian Parliament, the British Parliament will be scrapping it because the democratic mandate of UK citizens and all the democracies is against such an invasive project.

One Noble Prize winner too has underlined how it raises questions of personal liberty. Other world renowned social scientists have termed it as akin to allotting "prisoner numbers" to citizens. This is quite worrisome that in such a context our political leaders in general are so frozen in their passivity that they are not reaching out to sincerely address and respond to the gnawing concerns about a project that have fascist roots.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) reminds one of what happened from the period preceding Adolf Hitler's arrival to January 1933 when he occupied power, to Second World War and since then and International Business Machines (IBM)'s role with its punch card and card sorting technology. The way UID project is being bulldozed in the name of PDS, Education, Public Health, NREGA and now migrant workers is highly dubious.

Indeed in the words of historian Benedetto Croce, "All history is contemporary history" and the lessons from history present a compelling reason against the UID/Aadhar project.

Therefore, we support the statement of eminent citizens asking that:

• The project be halted

• A feasibility study be done covering all aspects of this issue

• Experts be tasked with studying its constitutionality

• The law on privacy be urgently worked on (this will affect matters way beyond the UID project)

• A cost : benefit analysis be done

• A public, informed debate be conducted before any such major change be brought in.

We urge you to recommend and encourage the government to abandon the UID/Aadhar project like the governments of UK, Australia and US have done to safeguard and honour the non-negotiable rights of citizens.

Yours Sincerely

Gopal Krishna

Member

Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)

New Delhi

Mb: 9818089660

E-mail: krishna2777@gmail.com

Cc

Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources

1 Shri Oscar Fernandes Chairman Rajya Sabha

2 Dr. K. Keshava Rao Member Rajya Sabha

3 Smt. Kanimozhi Member Rajya Sabha

4 Shri N. Balaganga Member Rajya Sabha

5 Shri Prakash Javadekar Member Rajya Sabha

6 Dr. Janardhan Waghmare Member Rajya Sabha

7 Shri N. K. Singh Member Rajya Sabha

8 Shri Pramod Kureel Member Rajya Sabha

9 Shri M. Rama Jois Member Rajya Sabha

10 Smt. Mohsina Kidwai Member Rajya Sabha

11 Capt. Jainarain Prasad Nishad Member Lok Sabha

12 Shri Sis Ram Ola Member Lok Sabha

13 Shri Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Member Lok Sabha

14 Shri P.C. Gaddigoudar Member Lok Sabha

15 Shri Madhu Goud Yaskhi Member Lok Sabha

16 Shri Suresh Chanabasappa Angadi Member Lok Sabha

17 Shri Rahul Gandhi Member Lok Sabha

18 Shri P. K. Biju Member Lok Sabha

19 Helen Davidson J Member Lok Sabha

20 Shri Prasanta Kumar Majumdar Member Lok Sabha

21 Dr. Vinay Kumar Pandey Member Lok Sabha

22 Shri Tapas Paul Member Lok Sabha

23 Shri Ashok Tanwar Member Lok Sabha

24 Shri Joseph Toppo Member Lok Sabha

25 Shri P. Viswanathan Member Lok Sabha

26 Shri Deepender Singh Hooda Member Lok Sabha

27 Shri P. Kumar Member Lok Sabha

28 Shri Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav Member Lok Sabha

29 Shri Jeetendra Singh Bundela Member Lok Sabha

30 Shri Kirti Jha Azad Member Lok Sabha

31 Shri Suresh Kalmadi Member Lok Sabha


Aadhaar and UPA govt's obsession for private sector benefits–Part XII

GOPAL KRISHNA | 02/12/2013 01:10 PM |   

The vision statement of Aadhaar states: "use of UID to speed up certain businesses, especially in the insurance and credit sectors, may eliminate the need for private sector to set-up parallel identification systems leading to improved efficiency in delivery of their services and a reduction in identity-related frauds in the service delivery"


Supreme Court bench of Dr Justice BS Chauhan and Justice SA Bobde heard the case against 12-digit Aadhaar/ unique identification (UID) number for biometric profiling on 26 November 2013. The next date of hearing is on 10 December 2013. Raj Pal Singh, director, Planning Commission has filed the counter affidavit in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 833 of 2013 (Aruna Roy Vs Union of India providing the backdrop of the establishment of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It is evident from the counter affidavit that it is directed towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and attempts to underline in the Court that there is bipartisan support for UID/ Aadhaar number project.

The counter affidavit argues that UIDAI was set up in furtherance of the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Reforming the National Security System were accepted by the BJP-led government besides the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee and the amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955 notified on 7 January 2004. GoM under the chairmanship of LK Advani also included the Defence Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister. The report was submitted to PM on 26 February 2001. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had considered the GOM report on 11 May 2001.

The counter affidavit based on inputs from Census Commissioner-cum-Registrar General of India, National Population Register (NPR), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) underlines that "the need for creation of a credible citizen database having a system secure form of personal identification of individuals has acquired importance due to a variety of reasons which include:

a) changing security scenario in the country, (b) realisation for better targeting of services and benefits under different schemes of government, and c) increasing identity frauds."

It refers to the 'provision for a secure "cyber-space" for creation of NPR, handling and transmission of data between the local service centers and national data centers" which was presented to the Committee of Secretaries (COS) in October 2006. The studied silence of the counter affidavit about how "secure cyber-space" has turned out to be a myth in the post Wikileaks and in post-Snowden era is quite stark.

Chronologically, it is revealed that "the concept of a unique identification was first discussed in 2006 when administrative approval for the project – 'Unique ID for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families" was given on 3 March 2006 by the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology." A Processes Committee under Planning Commission was set up on 3 July 2006 to suggest processes for creation for the "core database".

The counter affidavit states that COS was "apprised about the Unique Identification Number (UID) scheme of the Department of Information Technology (DIT) for creation of a residents' database based on the electoral rolls database of Election Commission of India...". It adds that the rest of the population (was to) be covered during Census 2011 to prepare National Population Register (NPR).

The fourth meeting of EGoM to collate two schemes- National Population Register (NPR/MNC) under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Unique Identification Number (UID) project of the Department of Information Technology (DIT) held on 4 November 2008 at 162, Committee Room, South Block. MNC stands for Multi-purpose National Identity Card based on NPR, which was envisaged during the tenure of BJP-led government. As per the minutes of the meeting, chairman of the EGoM, Pranab Mukherjee, the then Minister of External Affairs concluded that "It also needs to be appreciated that the whole exercise being technology based and system driven, there is immense scope far outsourcing the data collation and validation work and other tasks to expert agencies in the public or private sector through a transparent process while retaining requisite control over sovereign functions."

In the context, he mentioned the Passport Seva Project where retaining the sovereign functions within government (MEA) rest of the infrastructure, management and software development functions have been outsourced through a transparent process to private sector. Mukherjee stated that the UID project is unique in that the organization (UIDAI) has to work in close collaboration with large number of institutions and agencies both within and outside the government and will take at least five years to stabilize. The government at that time may need to take a fresh view particularly in light of further advancements in technology. This keeps the door open for DNA based identification.

A 14-page long document titled 'Strategic Vision: Unique Identification of Residents' prepared by Wipro Ltd and submitted to the Processes Committee has finally emerged. Its vision statement reads: "Creating a unique identification system of all residents in the country for efficient, transparent, reliable and effective delivery of various welfare and private services to the common person." The cover page of the document mentions National Institute for Smart Government, DIT and Wipro Consulting. The 'Strategic Vision on the UIDAI Project' of Wipro Ltd, the consultant for the design phase and program management phase of the pilot UIDAI project. It envisaged the close linkage that the UIDAI would have to the electoral database. On 4 December 2006, the Prime Minister constituted an E-GoM comprising of Shivraj V Patil, Minister of Home Affairs, A Raja, Minister of Communications & Information Technology under the Chairmanship of Pranab Mukherjee, the then Minister of External Affairs. Doesn't the presence of Raja as a member of EGoM and as the minister-in-charge of DIT which is/ was responsible for UID make the entire exercise tainted and create a rationale for re-visiting DIT's proposal advanced in 2006 before the COS?

At the first meeting of the EGoM on 7 November 2007, "the need for creating an identity related resident database and identify and establish and institutional mechanism that will "own" the database and will be responsible for its maintenance and updating on an ongoing basis post its creation was recognized." The proposal of UIDAI was approved on 28 January 2008. Pursuant to a meeting held on 25 January 2012 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, "UIDAI was allowed to enroll 60 crore number by EFC which was formally approved by the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI in its meeting on 27 January 2012." The fact remains Prime Minister is yet to reveal whether he and his family members have enrolled for biometric UID/ Aadhaar number.

Earlier, Prime Minister's Council on UIDAI constituted on 30 July 2009 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister held its first meeting on 12 August 2009 after Nandan Nilekani assumed charge as the chairperson in the rank and status of a cabinet minister. After that a Cabinet Committee on UIDAI was constituted on 22 October 2009. In a related development, Goolam E Vahanavati, Attorney General for India gave his written opinion on 6 August 2011 stating, "I do not consider the issuance of Aadhaar numbers to be a violation of right to privacy contained in Article 21 of the Constitution." Wipro Ltd, Consultant of Planning Commission as part of a section titled 'Implementation challenges' refers to the issue of Transparency vs. right to privacy. The basic premise for the success of UID is the concept of "one owner, many users", according to the document. But as of now the fact is that there are multiple owners of the database both inside and outside the government.

Notably, Wipro, the Consultant of Planning Commission states that "It is envisaged that, in the long term, UID would transform into being a de facto identifier for all residents of the country." Its document states that "Importantly, statutory backing would be required for the adoption of UID by residents, Government departments, its agencies and the private sector in the long term. But as of now UID is conceptualized as de facto identifier and not a de jure identifier.  This document has a section "Benefits to private/NGO Sector" wherein it states that "Private sector would be able to leverage the resident identification infrastructure and in turn, contribute to effective development activities, Use UID to speed up certain businesses, especially in the insurance and credit sectors, may eliminate the need for private sector to set-up parallel identification systems leading to improved efficiency in delivery of their services and a reduction in identity-related frauds in the service delivery." Why this Congress led Government so obsessed with ensuring benefits for private/NGO sector using citizens' personal sensitive information?  

Ravi Shankar Prasad, member of Parliament, (MP), general secretary and chief spokesperson, BJP issued a statement on behalf of the party dated 21 January 2012 on the subject of "UID & National Security"? The question is did he carefully read the report of the Yashwant Sinha headed Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Finance that was submitted to both the Houses of Parliament in December 2011. It appears that he and his party has not done so. Had it done so it would have realized that "preparation of Unique Identification Number (UID) (Aadhaar) being prepared by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)" itself is legally and constitutionally questionable. BJP maintains a deafening silence over the issue of illegal and illegitimate biometric data collection. This was an issue categorically raised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and its Prime Ministerial candidate. Arun Jaitely also raised deep concerns about privacy in Aadhaar era in writing.  

BJP has asked the Indian National Congress led Government as to 'What is the "Sanctity and integrity of the data" being collected by the UIDAI?' Will a solemn reply by the Government stating that the "sanctity and integrity" of data in general and biometric data in particular being collected is being taken care assure and satisfy the principal opposition party? Is it looking for merely an assurance? Why is it choosing to be complicit about the illegality of biometric profiling as has been pointed out by the Parliamentary Committee? Will it continue with the illegality if it wins the 2014 elections? Its silence in this regard is quite glaring.

Why is BJP mixing up the issue of "National Register of Indian Citizens" and the identification of residents of India as proposed by biometric Aadhaar/ UID? The principal opposition party appears convinced about a need for a centralized database of citizens' sensitive personal for "National Security".

In its affidavit on UID/ Aadhaar number based biometric identification, the Congress-led Government has trapped the main opposition party in a political trap by paraphrasing what BJP- led government had articulated and undertaken when they were in power. This affidavit is also an attempt to give a political message to the Parliamentary Committee in question that both BJP and Congress essentially have similar position on biometric profiling of Indians and BJP's opposition is merely a token opposition to justify its role as the principal opposition party. Notably, BJP is yet to take a position that if it wins 2014 elections it will dismantle the Aadhaar project as it suffers from democracy deficit.    

Meanwhile, on 26 November 2013, the Supreme Court gave an order that reads: "After hearing the matter at length, we are of the view that all the States and Union Territories have to be impleaded as respondents to give effective directions.  In view of these notices to be issued to all the states and union territories through standing counsel. The advocates who have already entered appearance must file their replies within a period of three days from today. Learned standing counsel for the states who were not represented may take instructions from their respective states and file their response within one week."

The Court refused to modify its order its order of 23 September 2013 stating that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory. Its modification was sought by the central government implying that it wanted to make it mandatory. This is contrary to the written opinion of Attorney General for India dated 6 August 2011 wherein he stated, because "…participation in the Scheme is voluntary", it is not a violation of right to privacy.    


Citizens and states must note that it is not a question of Aadhaar number being voluntary or mandatory, which seems to be the focus of the proposed resolution in the West Bengal State Assembly. It is a question of citizens being turned into subjects using illegal and illegitimate biometric Aadhaar number.

You may also want to read…

Why biometric identification of citizens must be resisted? Part I

Biometric identification is modern day enslavement -Part II

Biometric profiling, including DNA, is dehumanising -Part III

Marketing and advertising blitzkrieg of biometric techies and supporters -Part IV

History of technologies reveals it is their owners who are true beneficiaries -Part V

UID's promise of service delivery to poor hides IT, biometrics industry profits –Part VI

Technologies and technology companies are beyond regulation? -Part VII

Surveillance through biometrics-based Aadhaar –Part VIII

Narendra Modi biometrically profiled. What about Congress leaders?-Part IX

Aadhaar: Why opposition ruled states are playing partner for biometric UID? -Part X

Is Nandan Nilekani acting as an agent of non-state actors? –Part XI

(Gopal Krishna is member of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), which is campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010)

Why Kejriwal govt in Delhi should abandon biometric Aadhaar?—Part XXI

GOPAL KRISHNA | 02/01/2014 04:57 PM |   

Wherever direct cash transfer scheme based on Aadhaar was launched in the states that went for elections, Congress lost. Promises based on biometricAadhaar are rooted in a make believe world to which Indian voters are allergic to, shows the recent assembly elections


It is noteworthy that in the four states where assembly elections took place, the biometricAadhaar based direct benefits transfer (DBT) was being implemented in 154 assembly seats of Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Indian National Congress, the champion of DBT could win only 17 seats. In Delhi where DBT scheme was taken up in 63 assembly constituencies with Rs103 crore in cash transfers, the party won only eight seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 31 seats and the Aam Admi Party (AAP) got 28 seats. The verdict is starkly against Aadhaar-based DBT. A report from DNA dated 16 December 2013 has underlined this. Instead of biometric Aadhaar-based DBT being a game changer for the Congress it has emerged as a regime changer.

The electoral verdict is evidence against the diagnosis and remedy of World Bank Group and its Indian votaries. The verdict indicates that political parties that supportAadhaar are bound to pay heavy electoral cost for their involvement and complicity in putting citizens to inconvenience through tried, tested and failed identification technologies of transnational companies.

In view of the order dated 26 November 2013, the new government in Delhi will have to file its affidavit in the Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No(s) 494 of 2012 because notices have been "issued to all the States and Union Territories through standing counsel." In its interim order dated 23 September 2013, the court has directed, "In the meanwhile, no person should suffer for not getting the Aadhaar card in spite of the fact that an authority had issued a circular making it mandatory and when any person applies to get the Aadhaar card voluntarily…"

When Ministry of Petroleum sought the modification of this order, this order was reiterated on 26th November wherein the court said, "Interim order to continue, in the meantime." The next date of hearing is on 28 January 2014.

An editorial in The Financial Express (December 30, 2013) sounds worried as to 'Where has the DBT gone?' It argues that since between June and December 2013, about 1.84 crore customers in 184 districts have been given Rs1,700 crore of LPG subsidy transfers using Aadhaar as platform it is disturbing that Rahul Gandhi is talking about reviving and modernising Food Corporation of India (FCI) and shops under the public distribution system (PDS). It is unconvincingly argued in the editorial that if instead of cash transfermodernisation of existing infrastructure is undertaken, it will not plug annual leakages in the social security expenditure to the tune of Rs3 lakh crore.

Despite the ongoing electoral debacle being faced by Congress, it has failed to see the writing on the wall. If Rahul Gandhi is talking about modernisation of existing infrastructures in place of evidently failed initiatives like Aadhaar and DBT, it seems to imply that his trust in the prescriptions of Nandan Nilekani is beginning to erode. Notwithstanding this, the recent advertisements of the Ministry of Petroleum reveals that unless he bulldozes his opinion down their throat, the government is not likely to give it a burial but by then it will is going to be too late.      

In such a backdrop, AAP govt should introduce a resolution in the Delhi Assembly for abandoning 12 digit biometric Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar number in Delhi.

The new government in Delhi must scrap UID/Aadhaar related regressive legacy of Congress-led regime which made right to have citizens' rights dependent on being biometrically profiled and not on constitutional guarantees and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This has taken citizens to pre-Magna Carta days (1215 AD) or even earlier, to the days prior to the declaration of Cyrus, the Persian King (539 BC) that willed freedom for slaves. Should it not be resisted?

The democratic mandate in the assembly election is against UID/Aadhaar, which was made compulsory and caused hardship to residents of Delhi.Unmindful of the fact that people's right to energy and to cooking fuel funded by government is being snatched away by linking it with Aadhaar. The right to life and livelihood is under tremendous threat because significantly large number of Indians has been moved away from fire wood and coal based cooking. Delhi, for instance, claims to be a 100% LPG state. That means right to life and livelihood can be snatched away with its link with Aadhaar. Thus, the threat of exclusion in absence of Aadhaar based on decrees and sanctions unleashes violence on the people. It made Aadhaar a pre-condition for every right of Delhi residents including right to marriage. This is unconstitutional and must be undone.

All parties must rigorously examine the ramifications of biometric information based identification of residents of India in the light of global experiences. UK, China, Australia, US and France have scrapped similar initiatives. US Supreme Court, Philippines' Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have ruled against the indiscriminate biometric profiling of citizens without warrant.

AAP ought to take note of the fact that endorsing Supreme Court's order dated 23 September 2013 against Aadhaar, even Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Finance in its most recent report dated 18 October 2013 has asked Government of India to issue instructions to state governments and to all other authorities that 12-digit biometric Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar number should not be made mandatory for any purpose. The Seventy Seventh Report of the 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Finance reads, "Considering that in the absence of legislation, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is functioning without any legal basis, the Committee insisted the Government to address the various shortcomings/issues pointed out in their earlier report on 'National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010' and bring forth a fresh legislation."

If AAP introduces this resolution, it will further establish its claim to represent the common man.

In the meanwhile, a resolution was passed by West Bengal Assembly on 2 December 2013 against biometric Aadhaar-related programs. AAP govt should introduce a resolution in the Delhi Assembly seeking scrapping of biometric Aadhaar, asking all the parties to support the resolution. It is evident... that from the resolution against the Aadhaar that all the parties other than Congress are opposed to the implementation of Aadhaar-based programs.

Notably, wherever DBT scheme based on Aadhaar was launched in the states that went for elections recently, Congress lost. Rahul Gandhi had turnedAadhaar as his key promise in UP and Amethi, but he and his party lost miserably in Uttar Pradesh election too. Promises based on biometric Aadhaar are like India Shining campaign of BJP-led government which is rooted in a make believe world to which Indian voters are allergic. Even Sanjay Gandhi faced the adverse consequences of forcing planning on human body. Aadhaar-linked programs make Indian citizens subjects of Big Data companies. It is akin to Sanjay Gandhi's forced family planning programs.

The abandonment of biometric Aadhaar number by AAP will demonstrate that its government will end the culture of spying on its citizens and children in myriad disguises. This will help citizens stand up against illegitimate advances of the state.

You may also want to read…

Why biometric identification of citizens must be resisted? Part I

Biometric identification is modern day enslavement -Part II

Biometric profiling, including DNA, is dehumanising -Part III

Marketing and advertising blitzkrieg of biometric techies and supporters -Part IV

History of technologies reveals it is their owners who are true beneficiaries -Part V

UID's promise of service delivery to poor hides IT, biometrics industry profits –Part VI

Technologies and technology companies are beyond regulation? -Part VII

Surveillance through biometrics-based Aadhaar –Part VIII

Narendra Modi biometrically profiled. What about Congress leaders?-Part IX

Aadhaar: Why opposition ruled states are playing partner for biometric UID? -Part X

Is Nandan Nilekani acting as an agent of non-state actors? –Part XI

Aadhaar and UPA govt's obsession for private sector benefits–Part XII

Are Indians being used as guinea pigs of biometric technology companies? -Part XIV

Aadhaar: Is the biometric data of human body immortal and ageless? Part XV

Aadhaar: The propaganda of transnational vested interests –Part XVI

Aadhaar: Pakistan handed over, India giving database on a platter– Part XVII

Engineered row in US-India relations, an attention diversion tactics of big brothers?—Part XVIII

Aadhaar: UIDAI and the 'fifth column' of Napoleon—Part XIX

Aadhaar: Turning citizens into subjects through social control technology companies –PartXX

(Gopal Krishna is member of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), which is campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010)

JITENDER GUPTA

Nilekani vs Chidambaram? The UID's data collection irks the home minister

UID: CONTROVERSY

Aadhar, A Few Basic Issues

The much-feted UID project acquires a few enemies who take to attacking its methods

ARINDAM MUKHERJEE, LOLA NAYAR


A year ago, Nandan Nilekani operated out of a small, makeshift office with just the bare essentials. Today, the plush, wood-panelled office of the Unique Identification Authority of India chairman bears witness to the estimable rise the 52-year-old Nilekani—and his pet Aadhar project—has seen in the past 18 months. Despite many doubters, the co-founder of Infosys has led a charmed existence in government, feted for his business-like approach in stewarding the project to give identity numbers to millions of Indians, an exercise unprecedented in scale globally.

The calm inside Nilekani's office, however, doesn't reflect the storm raging outside. Over the past few months, Aadhar has been the subject of a viral attack from various quarters—cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats, policy experts and activists, even a few state governments. Everything, from Nilekani's procedures for data collection and the potential errors therein to concerns over privacy, is being questioned. Besides, the existence of an older exercise, the National Population Register (NPR), led by the home ministry, is threatening to derail the project.

While most accept the need for creating a systematic database of our citizenry, the path to be taken for this has created a vertical divide in the government and is leading to a turf war—or, as a PMO official tartly put it, "personality issues". The debate has now reached the highest levels, involving the Union finance minister, the home minister, the Planning Commission, the Registrar General of India (RGI) and the PMO itself.




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"It's not Aadhar standards, our objection is to data collection by registrars whose orientation is different from us."Dr C. Chandramouli, RGI, Census Commissioner




Many in the government, and even in bureaucratic circles, cannot align with the way Nilekani has been running his project and the powers the government has given him. This has won him many enemies who're attacking Aadhar. Some call it jealousy. Others see it as Nilekani pushing the limits of a technocratic approach to getting things done in government. His methods have raised concerns.

Fortunately for Nilekani, he is being backed at the highest level—by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and the PMO. With Rahul Gandhi too invoking UID in his recent speeches, the weight of the Nehru-Gandhis too is behind him. With such powerful friends, why then are Nilekani's opponents running riot?

Recently, home minister P. Chidambaram opened up a new flank by declaring that the authentication data by UIDAI does not satisfy security criteria and urged the cabinet to take another look at it. Chidambaram's views found resonance in many quarters pushing the NPR as the de facto mode of identifying residents.

At the centre of the debate is the UIDAI's process of using multiple registrars and enrolment agencies to collect individual data as well as its system of relying on 'secondary information' via existing identification documents. While Nilekani feels this is an effective method, NPR protagonists are pushing for a method of public scrutiny in which individual data is collected directly and put up before the public to weed out any fraud.

This many-layered screening process used in NPR is what, in fact, helped villagers in Gujarat's border areas expose 'strangers' (from Pakistan) on the rolls when the data was put up for public scrutiny. This reinforced the RGI's belief that the NPR process, despite being long and painstaking, is more foolproof. The one meeting point with Aadhar is the biometrics technology, which NPR has adopted. "We are fully governed by Aadhar standards for biometrics," says RGI and census commissioner Dr C. Chandramouli. "Our objection is to the data collection by other registrars who have a different orientation from ours. From a security point of view, they are not acceptable."




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"Even Prisoners' Act provides that fingerprints be destroyed after acquittal. In uidai such data can be stored forever."Gopal Krishna, UID Activist




Initially, it was felt both programmes could pool their data and share information. But the home ministry has refused to use UID data for NPR. In a communication to the Planning Commission last month, Chidambaram said: "The RGI or the MHA does not have the competence to alter the procedure or to accept any data that is in violation of the procedure laid down." Stressing that it is the prerogative of the government alone to alter the process, Chidambaram stated that if statutory processes have not been followed in collecting demographic and biometric data, the NPR cannot accept it.

The discontent was fuelled last December when the UIDAI got the finance ministry's nod to go beyond 100 million enrolments to 200 million. Says a senior bureaucrat who declines to be identified, "Nilekani ought to have taken permission of the cabinet committe on UIDAI or quickly thereafter gone for ratification (by the cabinet). Instead, for more than 6-7 months, the matter never came to light." The charge: the UID unilaterally kept shifting the goalpost, which resulted in expenditure not being approved by the competent authority.

From voicing concerns over UIDAI operations, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is among those who have shifted stance in the last few months. In August this year, the Planning Commission had shared with the home minister concerns over the overlap in enrolment and said that processing the independent proposals of RGI's Rs 10,00-crore and UIDAI's Rs 14,841-crore for universal coverage "would violate the specific mandate of the cabinet committee to avoid duplication".

The face of UID An Aadhar card

But in his cabinet note earlier this month, Montek made a clear pitch for UIDAI while giving options to take NPR and Aadhar forward. "I have suggested four ways in which duplication can be avoided. It is for the cabinet to decide," he told Outlook. Some of his suggestions are contrary to the expressed view of Chidambaram, including allowing UIDAI to continue Aadhar operations without providing government funding.

UIDAI's processes have also come under flak from activists. Says legal expert Usha Ramanathan, "The whole emphasis is on enrolment with no planning on how this is going to be used. And to push the agenda of enrolment, they have a multiplicity of registrars, which is leading to duplication as people who do not get their numbers within a stipulated time are re-enrolling." She also points to a dichotomy in UIDAI's approach—it has always said getting the number is a voluntary affair but is pushing service providers to make it mandatory for availing those services. UIDAI's system of using introducers to identify and provide numbers to the homeless and those without documents is another grey area.




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"All emphasis is on enrolment, not on how it'll be used. Besides the duplication, the whole biometric thing is so illegal."Usha Ramanathan, Legal Expert




As of now, the numbers are coming, but with considerable delays. While the agencies say the numbers will be issued in about 90 days' time, in most cases, it takes between four-six months. Says a senior official from an enrolment agency, "Many agencies are asking for additional data but they are not communicating to the people that everything is not mandatory and they don't have to fill up everything in the form."

In particular, there have been many issues with UID's biometric data collection. Labourers and poor people, the primary targets of the Aadhar process, often do not have clearly defined fingerprints because of excessive manual labour. Even old people with "dry hands" have faced difficulties. Weak iris scans of people with cataract have also posed problems. In several cases, agencies have refused to register them, defeating the very aim of inclusion of poor and marginalised people.

Activists also question UIDAI's authority to collect biometric data. Says human rights and UID activist Gopal Krishna, "There is ambiguity about biometric data. It is not clearly defined in the National Identification Bill. UIDAI also provides for storing biometric data like fingerprints forever while even the Prisoners' Act provides that this data should be destroyed on acquittal." Adds Ramanathan, "The whole thing is so illegal. Every statutory organisation can only act within a given mandate and citizen's rules do not provide for it. The Citizenship Act has nothing on biometric data."

While Nilekani asserts that the best systems are being put in place for security and no data will be shared, it hasn't helped dispel fear. Some states, in fact, are holding back.

On the ground, enrolling agencies too are facing problems. They are finding it difficult to get people to enrol in rural areas. Says Binod Mishra of Glodyne Technologies, an enrolment agency: "Initially, it took about Rs 22-24 per number, now the cost is many times that amount." Other agency officials say that despite the project being targeted at financial inclusion, it takes a long time to convince villagers to enrol as they are not sure what benefit UID will give them.

The crucial question now is whether Aadhar will survive in its present form beyond the 200-million cap. In early September, the Expenditure Finance Committee, at which the UIDAI is also represented, debated the proposal for extending Aadhar enrolment beyond 200 million individuals. The meeting did not conclude in Aadhar's favour. In the same month, UIDAI put in a fresh proposal for universal coverage under Phase III, thereby raising concerns both in the home ministry and the Planning Commission.

In the end, though, what matters is who has more support. While PMO sources say everything will be "sorted out" when the cabinet meets next month to take a call on UID's future, the attacks on Aadhar show that even technocrats have to tread carefully.

FILED IN:

AUTHORS:  ARINDAM MUKHERJEE | LOLA NAYAR

PEOPLE:  NANDAN NILEKANI | P. CHIDAMBARAM | MONTEK SINGH AHLUWALIA

TAGS:  AADHAR - UNIQUE IDENTITY (UID) CARD | PRIVACY | HOME MINISTRY

SECTION:  NATIONAL

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भाषा चयनित करेंहिन्दीअज़रबैजानीअफ्रीकांसअरबीअर्मीनियाईअल्बेनियाईआइसलैण्डीआयरिशइग्बोइतालवीइन्डोनेशियाईउर्दूऍस्टोनीऍस्पेरान्तोकन्नड़कॅटलनकोरियाईक्रोएशियाईखमेरगुजरातीगेलिकाईचीनी (परम्परागत)चीनी (सरलीकृत)चेक़जर्मनजापानीजावाईज़ुलुजॉर्जियाईटॅगलॉगडचडैनिशतमिलतुर्कीतेलुगुथाईनार्वेजियननेपालीपंजाबीपुर्तगालीपोलिशफारसीफिनिशफ़्रांसीसीबल्गेरियाईबांग्लाबास्कबेलारूसीबोस्नियाईमकदूनियाईमङ्गोलियाईमराठीमलयमाऔरीमाल्टीयिडिशयूक्रेनीयूनानीयोरुबारूसीरोमानीलाओलातवीलातिनीलिथुयानियाईवियतनामीवेल्शसर्बियाईसेबुआनोसोमालीस्पैनिशस्लोवाकस्लोवेनियाईस्वाहिलीस्वीडिशहंगरियनहमॉन्गहाईटियन क्रियोलहीब्रूहौसाअनुवाद द्वारा पॉवर्ड






















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'Enrolment, Not Aadhar Itself, Is The Issue'

The UIDAI chairman on the controversies and challenges facing his pet project.

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Last Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013, 10:33

केंद्र सरकार का दावा है कि पहली जून से देश के 18 जिलों में शुरू हुई एलपीजी सीधा लाभ अंतरण योजना काफी सफल रही है। इस योजना से अब तक 10 लाख से ज्यादा उपभोक्ताओं को लाभ पहुंचाया जा चुका है।

बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ने पेश किया बहुपयोगी 'धन आधार कार्ड'

Last Updated: Saturday, June 22, 2013, 16:11

सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के बैंक ऑफ इंडिया (बीओआई) ने आधार नंबर से जुड़ा धन आधार कार्ड पेश किया है। इस कार्ड की खासियत यह है कि इस पर आधार संख्या के साथ संबंधित ग्राहक की तस्वीर भी होगी और इसके जरिये कई तरह का लेनदेन किया जा सकेगा।

`आधार कार्ड नामांकन के लिए कोई ड्रेस कोड नहीं`

Last Updated: Friday, May 31, 2013, 23:08

भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण (यूआईडीएआई) ने आज स्पष्ट किया है कि उसने आधार संख्या नामांकन के लिए कोई ड्रेस कोड तय नहीं किया है।

बिना `आधार` भी मिले कैश ट्रांसफर का लाभ : रमेश

Last Updated: Friday, May 31, 2013, 19:37

केंद्रीय मंत्री जयराम रमेश ने शुक्रवार को कहा कि आधार संख्या का न होना संप्रग सरकार की महत्वाकांक्षी नकद अंतरण योजना (कैश ट्रांसफर स्कीम) से वंचित होने का कारण नहीं होना चाहिए।

UIDAI की ऑनलाइन पहचान प्रमाणन सेवाएं

Last Updated: Friday, May 24, 2013, 22:11

भारतीय विशेष पहचान प्राधिकरण (यूआईडीएआई) ने आधार युक्त तीन सेवाएं शुक्रवार को पेश की जिससे लोगों को एक डिजिटल प्लेटफार्म के जरिए कभी भी और कहीं भी अपनी पहचान साबित करने में मदद मिलेगी।

कैश ट्रांसफर से GDP में 0.5% की बचत होगी: IMF

Last Updated: Monday, April 29, 2013, 22:08

अंतरराष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष (आईएमएफ) ने कहा है कि आधार के साथ सीधे नकद अंतरण के एकीकरण में समय लगेगा लेकिन इस योजना से भारत सरकार को सकल घरेलू उत्पाद (जीडीपी) के 0.5 प्रतिशत की बचत की मदद मिलेगी।

देश भर में अभी तक 31.19 करोड़ आधार कार्ड तैयार

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 15:27

भारत में अब तक निर्वाचन आयोग में देश के 75.84 करोड़ मतदाता पंजीकृत है वहीं 31.19 करोड़ आधार संख्यांक तैयार किये जा चुके हैं।

डीएल बनवाने के लिए आधार कार्ड मान्य

Last Updated: Monday, April 22, 2013, 22:18

देश के सभी यातायात विभागों को आदेश दे दिया गया है कि ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस जारी करते समय उम्र और पते के पहचानस्वरूप आधार कार्ड को प्रामाणिक माना जाए।

आसान नहीं है आधार कार्ड हासिल करना

Last Updated: Thursday, March 14, 2013, 14:42

सरकार ने माना कि भारतीय नागरिकों को आधार कार्ड हासिल करने में परेशानी का सामना करना पड़ रहा है।

छात्रवृत्ति, फेलोशिप के लिए अब आधार कार्ड जरूरी

Last Updated: Sunday, February 03, 2013, 12:11

विश्वविद्यालय एवं कॉलेज के छात्र अगर यूजीसी या राज्य सरकारों से अपनी छात्रवृत्ति और फेलोशिप प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं तो उसके लिए अब आधार कार्ड जरूरी होगा।

आधार की अनिवार्यता को स्थगित कर सकता है ईपीएफओ

Last Updated: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 14:36

कर्मचारी भविष्य निधि संगठन (ईपीएफओ) श्रमिक संगठनों से कड़े विरोध को देखते हुए अपने पांच करोड़ से अधिक अंशधारकों के लिए आधार संख्या अनिवार्य करने के फैसले को स्थगित कर सकता है। जानकार सूत्रों ने यह जानकारी दी।

EPFO में 'आधार' की अनिवार्यता का विरोध

Last Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013, 19:23

श्रमिक संगठनों ने कर्मचारी भविष्य निधि कोष संगठन (ईपीएफओ) के आधार कार्ड को अनिवार्य बनाने के फैसले का विरोध किया है।

पीएफ, पेंशन निकासी के लिए आधार कार्ड अनिवार्य

Last Updated: Tuesday, January 08, 2013, 18:24

राजस्थान कर्मचारी भविष्य निधि संगठन ने उदयपुर, अजमेर और अलवर में भविष्य निधि (पीएफ), पेंशन निकासी और सीधे नकदी अंतरण योजना के लिए आधार कार्ड नम्बर अनिवार्य कर दिये हैं।

कैश ट्रांसफर स्कीम के रास्ते में आड़े आ रहा है आधार कार्ड

Last Updated: Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 13:56

सरकार अपनी महत्वकांक्षी नकदी अंतरण योजना को एक जनवरी 2013 से अमल में लाने की तरफ तेजी से बढ़ रही है लेकिन जिन 43 जिलों में इसे लागू किया जाना है वहां आधार कार्ड डेटाबेस की कम उपलब्धता इसके रास्ते में बड़ी अड़चन खड़ी कर सकती है।

सीधे नकदी हस्तांतरण को आधार,बैंक खाता जरूरी

Last Updated: Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 23:09

सीधे नकदी हस्तांतरण की योजना का लाभ तभी मिल पाएगा जबकि लाभार्थी के पास आधार कार्ड और बैंक खाता होगा। सीधे नकदी हस्तांतरण की योजना नए साल यानी 1 जनवरी, 2013 से शुरू होने जा रही है।

'आधार' के जरिए होगा कैश सब्सिडी ट्रांसफर

Last Updated: Friday, November 30, 2012, 15:03

सरकार ने शुक्रवार को बताया कि विशिष्ठ पहचान संख्या (यूआईडी) यानी आधार के माध्यम से सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली (पीडीएस) की किरासन तेल और घरेलू रसोई गैस पर सीधे नकद सब्सिडी प्रदान करने का निर्णय किया गया है।

आधार कार्ड से रुकेगा भ्रष्टाचार : निलेकणी

Last Updated: Monday, October 22, 2012, 20:26

इंडिया अगेंस्ट करप्शन के नेता अरविंद केजरीवाल पर बिना नाम का उल्लेख किए चुटकी लेते हुए भारतीय विशिष्ट पहचान प्राधिकरण के अध्यक्ष नंदन नीलेकणी ने सोमवार को कहा कि टेलीविजन अभियान, कानून में बदलाव या निरीक्षकों (लोकपाल) की तैनाती की तुलना में आधार आधारित सेवा आपूर्ति श्रृंखला से भ्रष्टाचार की अधिक प्रभावी रोकथाम की जा सकती है।

बिचौलियों पर शिकंजा कसेगा `आधार` : PM

Last Updated: Saturday, October 20, 2012, 16:45

प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह ने कहा कि उनकी सरकार बेइमानी और बिचौलियों को समाप्त कर पारदर्शिता लाने के लिए अत्याधुनिक तकनीक का इस्तेमाल करना चाहती है और आधार कार्ड इस दिशा में अहम कदम है।

सोनिया गांधी ने बांटा 21करोड़वां आधार कार्ड

Last Updated: Saturday, October 20, 2012, 12:56

प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह और संप्रग अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी विशिष्ट पहचान प्रमाण संख्या 'आधार' की आज दूसरी वषर्गांठ पर दूदू में आयोजित एक कार्यक्रम में भाग लेने के लिए जयपुर पहुंचे। इस कार्यक्रम में संप्रग अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी ने 21करोड़वां आधार कार्ड बांटा।

सोनिया और मनमोहन 20 को दूदू जाएंगे

Last Updated: Saturday, October 13, 2012, 17:52

प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह और संयुक्त प्रगतिशील गठबंधन अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी 20 अक्तूबर को जयपुर से 50 किलोमीटर दूर दूदू में आधार कार्ड की दूसरी सालगिरह पर आयोजित समारोह में शरीक होंगे।

दो साल में बनेंगे 40 करोड़ 'आधार' कार्ड

Last Updated: Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 22:01

बीते दो साल में देश की 20 करोड़ आबादी के लिए 'आधार' नामक विशेष पहचान पत्र बना चुके भारतीय विशेष पहचान पत्र प्राधिकरण (यूआईडीएआई) का लक्ष्य अब अगले दो साल में और 40 करोड़ लोगों के लिए आधार कार्ड बनाना है।

'आधार' को मिला आधार, कैबिनेट ने कराई सुलह

Last Updated: Friday, January 27, 2012, 12:51

अब 40 करोड़ और लोगों के लिए आधार कार्ड (यूआईडीएआई) दिया जाएगा। इस आशय का फैसला केंद्रीय कैबिनेट की शुक्रवार को हुई बैठक में लिया गया।

इलेक्ट्रोनिक तरीके से होगी 'आधार' की डिलीवरी

Last Updated: Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 10:50

सरकार ने बुधवार को कहा कि विशिष्ट पहचान कार्ड के भारी बैक लाग को देखते हुए इलैक्ट्रोनिक तरीके से आधार कार्ड की डिलीवरी की जाएगी।

अब एसएमएस व ई-मेल के जरिए यूआईडी

Last Updated: Sunday, November 13, 2011, 09:26

आधार कार्ड जारी करने वाले यूआईडीएआई ने लोगों को ई-मेल और एसएमएस के जरिए उनकी संख्या सूचित करने का निर्णय किया है।


Himanshu Kumar

सोनी सोरी ने आज आम आदमी पार्टी की विधिवत सदस्यता ग्रहण कर ली है।

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Himanshu Kumar

छत्तीसगढ़ के इन अस्सी दलित परिवारों को पंजाब के कपूरथला जिले में ईंट भट्टा मालिक ने बंधुआ बना कर रखा हुआ था . परिवार के एक सदस्य को ही एक बार में भट्टे से बाहर जाने की इजाजत थी .


इन्हें नहीं पता कि इनके प्रदेश छत्तीसगढ़ में रोज़गार गारंटी नाम की कोई योजना भी चलती है .


इन दलित परिवारों को आज़ाद करा कर छत्तीसगढ़ वापिस भेजा जा रहा है . जहाँ उम्मीद है इनका पुनर्वास नहीं किया जाएगा .


जैसे पहले वाले मजदूरों का नहीं किया गया .


आज सोनी सोरी ने इन मजदूर परिवारों से बात चीत करी .


सोनी ने इन से कहा कि आखिर आजादी के इतने सालों के बाद भी आदिवासी और दलितों की ये हालत क्यों है .


क्या आज़ादी हमारे लिए नहीं आयी थी ?


सोनी ने कहा मैं वापिस छत्तीसगढ़ लौट रही हूँ हम सब अब अपनी लड़ाई छत्तीसगढ़ में ही मिल कर लड़ेंगे और अपनी हालत को खुद ही बदलेंगे .

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Satya Narayan

केजरीवाल ने तो एकदम स्‍पष्‍ट कर दिया है कि वो किसके साथ है। फिर भी कुछ "अगड़म बगड़म वामपंथी" अभी भी उसके मुरीद बने घुम रहे हैं (कुछ तो उसके आर्थिक सलाहकार भी हैं, अपना सारा "मार्क्‍सवादी" ज्ञान उन्‍होने केजरीवाल की सीआईआई स्‍पीच तैयार करने में लगा दिया)। केजरीवाल ने अपने 49 दिन के कार्यकाल में दिल्‍ली की सबसे ज्‍यादा मेहनत करने वाली ठेका मज़दूर आबादी के लिए एक शब्‍द भी नहीं बोला। उल्‍टे स्‍थायी करने के लिए धरना दे रहे शिक्षकों को उसने नौकरी से निकालने की धमकी देकर घर बिठा दिया। जब हजारों मज़दूर सचिवालय पर 6 फरवरी को दुबारा पहूँचे तो उसके श्रम मंत्री (जो खुद एक कारखानेदार है और अपने कारखाने में न्‍युनतम मज़दूरी भी नहीं देता) ने कहा कि वो ऐसा कोई कानून नहीं बना सकते क्‍योंकि उन्‍हे ठेकेदारों व पूँजीपतियों के बारे में भी सोचना है।

कल उसने सीआईआई में जो स्‍पीच दी क्‍या इसके बाद भी कोई भ्रम बाकी है?

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Abhishek Srivastava

आम आदमी पार्टी की राजनीतिक-आर्थिक विचारधारा को लेकर जिन्‍हें भ्रम है, उसे दूर करने के लिए उन्‍हें अरविंद का यह भाषण ज़रूर सुनना चाहिए।


अरविंद कहते हैं कि उन्‍हें पूंजीवाद से कोई विरोध नहीं है, बस पूंजीवाद में ''क्रोनी'' वाला तत्‍व वे खत्‍म करना चाहते हैं। उनका मानना है कि इसी ''क्रोनी'' पूंजीवाद से बेरोज़गारी, महंगाई, गरीबी आदि पैदा होती है। अगर दुकानदार दुकान चलाए और राजकाज का काम सरकार करे, तो कहीं कोई दिक्‍कत ही नहीं पैदा होगी। उनके कहने का अर्थ ये है कि राव-सिंह के नेतृत्‍व में जिस उदारीकरण को 90 के बाद लाया गया, उसे अब विशुद्ध ''साम्राज्‍य'' के स्‍तर तक पहुंचाने की ज़रूरत है जहां सरकार और कारोबार दो परस्‍पर स्‍वायत्‍त इकाइयां हों, बाकी सारी पहचानें मिट जाएं और सिर्फ एक पहचान बची रह जाए जिसे ''गरीब'' कहते हैं।


ऐसा लगता है कि अरविंद का यह पूरा भाषण सन् 2000 में आई हार्ट और नेग्री की बहुचचर्चित पुस्‍तक ''एम्‍पायर'' की भारतीय प्रस्‍तावना है, जिसमें पूंजीवाद को घर्षणरहित बनाने का प्रोजेक्‍ट उकेरा गया है। संयोग से अरविंद की सामाजिक-राजनीतिक पैदाइश और इस पुस्‍तक की पैदाइश समकालीन है। दिलचस्‍प!


बहरहाल, अब, जबकि सीधे घोड़े के मुंह से (अंग्रेज़ी मुहावरा) उसका राजनीतिक दर्शन ज़ाहिर हो ही गया है, तो कम से कम समाजवादियों और मार्क्‍सवादियों की ओर से 'आप' के समर्थन/सहानुभूति में अब कोई भी थेथरई नहीं टिक पाएगी। या तो आप पूंजीवाद के साथ हैं या उसके खिलाफ़- यानी या तो आप 'आप' के साथ हैं या उसके खिलाफ़! बात खत्‍तम!

AAP Leader Arvind Kejriwal Addressing at CII Part -1

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AAP Leader Arvind Kejriwal Addressing at CII Part -1 New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal yet again chanted the anti-corruption mantra when he was expected to spell ou...

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  • Reyazul Haque, Vidya Bhushan Rawat, Subhash Gautam and 16 others like this.

  • Vipin Shukla हार्ट और नेग्री से तुलना कितनी उचित है कहना मुश्किल है. इस भाषण की तुलना उन उदार पूंजीवादी अर्थशास्त्रियों से भी करना मुश्किल है, प्रथम विश्वयुद्ध और १९७० के बीच जिनका दबदबा था. क्योकि केजरीवाल खुद ही कहते हैं- "government has no business to be in busi...See More

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  • Pyoli Swatija सहमत Vipin Shukla!

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  • Sandeep Verma भारत में समाजवादियो और साम्यवादी जब पिछले दरवाजे से पूंजीपतियों से कंधे से कंधे मिलकर चल रहे हो ,तब यह इमानदारी स्वागतयोग्य है . ना तो पश्चिम बंगाल में पूंजीपतियों को निकाल भगाया गया है और ना ही यूपी में दाम बांधे गए है .

  • about an hour ago · Like

S.r. Darapuri shared Satya Narayan's photo.

कहाँ क्रांतिकारी भगत सिंह और कहाँ संत पूंजीवादी केजरीवाल

अगर केजरीवाल के अन्‍दर जरा भी नैतिकता बाकी है तो इसे शहीदे-आजम-भगतसिंह की फोटो का इस्‍तेमाल बन्‍द कर देना चाहिए। भगतसिंह अपनी विचारधारा को लेकर स्‍पष्‍ट भी थे और उसको पब्लिकली स्‍वीकार भी करते थे। वैसे तो केजरीवाल की विचारधारा भी स्‍पष्‍ट है ("सन्‍त पूँजीवाद") लेकिन लोगों के बीच में ये भ्रम फैलाता है कि ये बिन पैंदे का लोटा है (वैसे ये लोटा हमेशा एक ही साइड झुकता है, पूँजीपतियों की तरफ )

इसके अलावा भगतसिंह पूरी तरह नास्तिक थे, इसकी तरह हर वक्‍त "भगवान की कृपा" पर नहीं जीते थे।

जब भगतसिंह की जिन्‍दगी से एक सकारात्‍मक चीज नहीं सीखनी है तो मात्र वोटों के लिए उनकी फोटो का इस्‍तेमाल, ये तो निहायत ही दोगलापन है। केजरीवाल शर्म करो !!!!

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Surendra Grover

अम्बानी की लूट खसोट रोकने के लिए रिलायंस का राष्ट्रीयकरण होना ही चाहिये.. यदि कोई भी राजनेता ऐसा करने की घोषणा करे तो उसे समर्थन देना ही चाहिए.. आपको क्या लगता है..?

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Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna

लोक सभा में रेल मंत्री रहते हुए ममता बनर्जी ने शेर पढ़ा -

हम न शुका करेगा , न गीला करेगा

तुम शाला मत रोओ हम यहीं दवा करेगा

जब की मूल शेर यह था -

न शिकवा करेंगे , न गिला करेंगे

तुम सलामत रहो यही दुआ करेंगे

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Ashutosh Kumar

क्रोनी कैपिटलिज्म की हिंदी कल से सोच रहा हूँ. 'जार पूंजीवाद ' सब से बेहतर लग रहा है. जार बना तो यार से ही है , लेकिन यह वो यार है , जिसकी यारी जाहिर नहीं की जाती . जब भी पूंजीवाद संकट में पड़ता है , जार पूंजीवाद की बात होने लगती है , गोया वही बुराई की जड़ हो . हकीकत यह है कि शुरुआत से ही पूंजीवाद जार पूंजीवाद के रूप में ही फलाफूला है . जार पूंजीवाद ने ही उपनिवेशवाद को जन्म दिया .जार पूंजी वाद के कारण ही विश्व -युद्ध हुए . आज भी अमरीकी हथियार उद्योग जार पूंजीवाद का सब से विकसित नमूना है . भारत में नेहरू युग से आज तक हमने जार पूंजीवाद के ही बदलते हुए दौर देखे हैं .असल में, राज्य और सरकार के साथ भ्रष्ट सांठगाँठ के बिना न पूंजीवाद चल सकता है , न पूंजीवादी राज्य टिक सकता है .

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  • Jagadishwar Chaturvedi, Vidya Bhushan Rawat, Mohan Shrotriya and 64 others like this.

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  • Malineekutaz Abhigyanshakuntalam Bharat Swachhand poonji

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  • Shashank Bhardawaj क्रोनी कैपिटलिज्म बहुत बुरा है पर क्रोनी मीडियास्म् ................

  • जिज्ञासा और कुछ नहीं......

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  • Pankaj Srivastava सीधे-सीधे चम्पू पूंजीवाद है..

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  • Vivek Shrivastava आप जिस पूंजीवाद से घृणा कर रहे हैं वो अपना रूप तेजी से बदल रहा है और स्वार्थ के साथ मानव हितों का समावेश खूबसुरती से कर रहा है वहीँ वाम एक गड्ढे में कैद पानी की तरह दिन ब दिन सड रहा है ....वाम के चाहने वाले मजदूरों से ज्याद खुद को चाहते हैं और मजदूर हित के बहाने स्वहित में अग्रसर हो जाते हैं ....ये तत्व ही ना केवल पूँजीवाद को जिन्दा रखे हैं बल्कि फलने फूलने में भी मदद करत़ा है समझिये ये कोई राकेट साइंस नहीं है ......झूटी शान में कब तक जीते रहेंगे वामपंथी

  • 40 minutes ago · Edited · Like · 1

The Economic Times

AMAZING IMAGES: It is Narendra Modi's postcard for his Gujarat model of development. Take a look at this 'Airport-like' bus terminal in Vadodara and share your views - http://ow.ly/tJjSQ

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Aam Aadmi Party

Former India skipper and hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay joined the political bandwagon of the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday, and is set to campaign for them across India.


With a career spanning across three decades and the country's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1999-2000, Pillay is one of the biggest hockey icon in India. He went on to win the Padma Shri award in 2000 and was also the skipper of the side that won the Asian Games in 2002. In the same year, Pillay also won the player-of-the-tournament in the Champions Trophy in Germany.

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पूर्व भारतीय हॉकी कप्तान धनराज पिल्ले और आम आदमी पार्टी से जुड़ गए हैं। तीस साल तक भारत के लिए हॉकी खेलने वाले धनराज पिल्ले राजीव गांधी खेल रत्न और पद्धश्री से सम्मानित किया जा चुका है।

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Satya Narayan with Akashdeep Rayat and 10 others

केजरीवाल पर लट्टू "अगड़म बगड़म वामपंथी" जरूर देखें और कमेंट करें।


बेचारा कितना चिन्तित है अमीरजादों के लिए। कह रहा है कि इस देश की सारी धन दौलत तो पूँजीपती ही पैदा करते हैं। (मज़दूर तो कामचोरी करते हैं, बेचारे सेठ कितना काम करते हैं :))

इसका ये वीडियो देखिये और बताइये कि इसमें , मनमोहन और मोदी में क्‍या अन्‍तर है (आर्थिक नीतियों के आधार पर)।


केजरीवाल की बात माने तो, अगर एक सिपाही जो 100 रुपया घूस माँगता है (जो उसकी बिना काम की कमाई होगी) तो वह भ्रष्ट है, लेकिन अगर कोई पूँजीपति अपनी पूँजी लगाकर "ईमानदारी" से अनेक मज़दूरों की मेहनत पर खुद बिना कोई काम किये अरबों रूपया कमाता है, तो यह भ्रष्टाचार नहीं है। ऐसा लगता है कि केजरीवाल पूँजी को काफी अहमियत देते हैं, और पूँजी के सामने मेहनत को बहुत ही तुच्छ समझते हैं!

केजरीवाल की माने तो मुनाफा केन्द्रित उत्पादन सम्बन्धों पर खड़ी पूँजीवादी व्यवस्था के अलावा और कोई विकल्प हमारे सामने नहीं है?? यानि पूँजीवाद ही आर्थिक-सामाजिक (अ)व्यवस्था का अंतिम सत्य है, इसके सिवाय और कोई विकल्प नहीं हो सकता??? यानि, आने वाली सभी पीड़ियों में पूँजीवादी उत्पादन सम्बन्धों पर आधारित समाज ही रहेगा, जहाँ कुछ लोग अपने मुनाफे के लिये दूसरों से काम करबाके उनका शोषण करते रहेंगे...


ऐसे में पूँजी लगाकर काम किये बिना अरबों की सम्पत्ति कमाने और दूसरों की मेहनत पर अय्याशी करने वाले सभी देशी-विदेशी बैंकर-उद्योगपति-ठेकेदार केजरीवाल का शुक्रिया किये बिना नहीं रह रहे होंगे। क्योकि काम करने वाली आम जनता को पूँजीवाद के बारे में भ्रमित करने का इससे (केजरीवाल के भले रूप से) बेहतर माध्यम और कोई नहीं हो सकता था।

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Ajay Prakash

वेंडी डोनिगर की किताब 'The Hindus An Alternativ History' पर जो बवाल मचा है उस पर बहुत ध्यान देने की जरुरत है. इस पूरे खेल को विस्तार से समझना जरूरी है. किसी किताब को बैन करने, जलाने, हुडदंग करने या लेखक प्रकाशक को पीड़ित करने से कोई लाभ नहीं होगा. इस बहस को प्रयासपूर्वक चार सौ सालों से चलाया जा रहा है, जिसमे यूरोपीय साम्राज्यवाद और यूरोपीय धर्मों की तथाकथित श्रेष्ठता को एशियाई धर्मों और संस्कृतियों पर लादने का षड्यंत्र शामिल है....इस मसले पर पढ़िए संजय जोठे का विस्तृत विश्लेषण दो किस्तों में...http://www.janjwar.com/janjwar-special/27-janjwar-special/4790-the-hindus-an-alternativ-histry-vendi-donigar-by-sanjay-jhothe

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S.r. Darapuri

राष्ट्रीय उलेमा कौसिंल के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष आमिर रशादी मदनी ने उपवास का समर्थन करते हुए कहा कि साम्प्रदायिक हिंसा निरोधक बिल यदि पास हुआ होता तो मुजफ्फरनगर का दंगा न होता।

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मुक्त व्यापार,मुक्त बाज़ार का मुक्त नायक केजरीवाल

February 18, 2014 at 10:00am

अरविंद केजरीवाल पर मीडिया के लट्टू होने की वजह धीरे धारे साफ़ होती जा रही हैं। साथ ही नव्य उदार आर्थिक नीतियों के हिमायती युवाओं के उसके प्रति आकर्षण के वैचारिक कारण भी सामने आने लगे हैं । हमें यह भ्रम भी नहीं पालना चाहिए कि केजरीवाल सिस्टम में परिवर्तन करने के लिए राजनीति में आए हैं । वे भी यह नहीं मानते ।

अरविंद केजरीवाल ने साफ़ कहा है कि वह 'क्रोनी कैपीटलिज्म" ( लंपट पूँजीवाद) के ख़िलाफ़ है। लेकिन पूँजीवाद के पक्ष में है। सीआईआई के जलसे में बोलते हुए केजरीवाल ने कहा


"We are not against capitalism, we are against crony capitalism", ( बिज़नेस स्टैंडर्ड, 17फरवरी 2014)

यह भी कहा 'हम ग़लती कर सकते हैं लेकिन हमारी मंशाएँ भ्रष्ट नहीं हैं।'

केजरीवाल की मंशाएँ साफ़ हैं और लक्ष्य भी साफ़ हैं। पहलीबार केजरीवाल ने आर्थिक नीतियों के सवाल पर अपना नज़रिया व्यक्त करते हुए जो कुछ कहा है वह संकेत है कि आख़िरकार वे देश को किस दिशा में ले जाना चाहते हैं ?

केजरीवाल पर बातें करते समय उनके आम आदमी पार्टी के गठन के पहले के बयानों और कामों के साथ मौजूदा दौर में दिए जा रहे बयानों का गहरा संबंध है फिर भी हमें राजनेता केजरीवाल और सामाजिकनेता केजरीवाल में अंतर करना होगा ।

आम आदमी पार्टी के गठन के बाद केजरीवाल यह पहला महत्वपूर्ण नीतिगत बयान है। यह बयान इसलिए भी महत्वपूर्ण है कि उनके दल के साथ सोशलिस्टों, अतिवामपंथी, उदार देशभक्त और जानेमाने वामपंथी विचारधारा के लोग भी शामिल हैं। ये सब वे लोग हैं जो कल तक विभिन्न मंचों से अपने जो विचार रख रहे थे उनसे केजरीवाल के आर्थिक विचारों का मेल बिठाने में असुविधाएं हो सकती हैं ।

केजरीवाल ने साफ़ शब्दों में अपने नज़रिए की बुनियादी धारणा पेश की है , उन्होंने कहा है

"Time has come to define what is the government's role," Kejriwal said, adding the government has no business to be in business, which is best left to private players.


He said whatever the form of government, it has three primary tasks - providing security, justice and a corruption-free administration."


यानी केजरीवाल चाहते हैं सरकार या राज्यसत्ता की बाज़ार के नियमन में कोई भूमिका न हो । वे चाहते हैं सरकार का काम है सिर्फ़ प्रशासन चलाना ।व्यापार के काम को निजी क्षेत्र के रहमोकरम पर छोड़ दिया जाय।

नव्य उदार आर्थिक नीति की भी यही माँग रही है। इसी माँग की पूर्ति के लिए कांग्रेस काम करती रही है और बाज़ार की शक्तियाँ ही तय करती रही हैं कि व्यापार में क्या हो?

यह अचानक नहीं है कि केजरीवाल 48दिन दिल्ली में सरकार में रहे लेकिन उन्होंने महँगाई नियंत्रण के लिए कोई क़दम नहीं उठाया । यहाँ तक कि व्यापारियों की लूट -खसोट के ख़िलाफ़ कोई बयान तक नहीं दिया।

केजरीवाल ने अपने बयान में मूलत: मुक्त बाज़ार की धारणाओं की हिमायत की है और जो फ़ार्मूला सुझाया है वह विश्व बैंक और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मुद्राकोष विगत कई दशकों से सुझाता रहा है । यह नीति लगातार सभी देशों में पिटती रही है यहाँ तक कि अमेरिका में भी पिटी है।

मुक्त बाज़ार का मतलब भारत जैसे देश के लिए आत्मघाती है। इसका यह भी अर्थ है कि मनमोहन सिंह की सरकार द्वारा जो जनविरोधी आर्थिक नीतियाँ लागू होती रही हैं उनको लेकर बुनियादी तौर पर केजरीवाल का कोई बुनियादी सैद्धांतिक मतभेद नहीं है। केजरीवाल की मनमोहन सिंह के बारे में जो धारणा है वह जानें,कहा है,

"The world's best economic expert is our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. During the last 10 years of UPA tenure, you saw best economic policies but the biggest drawback was lack of honest politics. As there was no honest politics, those economic policies could not be implemented,"

यानी मनमोहन सिंह की नीतियाँ सही हैं लेकिन संकट है तो ईमानदार राजनीति का । ईमानदार राजनीति हो और मनमोहन सिंह की नीतियाँ रहें तो बस सोने में सुहागा समझो !

ईमानदार राजनीति का जनहितकारी नीतियों से गहरा संबंध है। मनमोहन सिंह की जनविरोधी नीतियों का भ्रष्ट राजनीति से गहरा संबंध है । मनमोहन सिंह की नीतियाँ " लंपट पूँजीवाद" की जनक हैं। समस्या ईमानदार नेता और बेईमान नेता में से चुनने की नहीं है ।

समस्या यह है मनमोहन सिंह की नीतियाँ रहें या जाएँ ? क्या केजरीवाल के पास मनमोहन सिंह की सुझायी और लागू की गयी नीतियों का कोई विकल्प है ? केजरीवाल के बयान से लगता है उनके पास मनमोहन सिंह की नीतियों का कोई विकल्प नहीं है। नीति मनमोहन सिंह की और राजनीति केजरीवाल की !

केजरीवाल का यह कहना कि सरकार का काम है प्रशासन चलाना और व्यापार के काम से सरकार को बाहर रहना चाहिए । इसका क्या अर्थ लें ?

केजरीवाल के अनुसार व्यापार के नियम व्यापारी बनाएँ , सरकार उस काम में हस्तक्षेप न करे। यानी वे व्यापारियों को मनमानी करने का अबाधित हक़ देना चाहते हैं। बाज़ार को सरकारी चंगुल से पूरी तरह मुक्त करते हुए वे क्या करना चाहते हैं इस पर साफ़तौर पर कुछ नहीं कहा ।

मसलन केजरीवाल से पूछा जाना चाहिए कि रेडियो तरंगों का मालिक कौन रहेगा ? सरकार रहेगी या निजी क्षेत्र ? क्या रेडियो तरंगों के बाजिव दाम मिल जाएँगे तो रेडियो तरंगों को निजी क्षेत्र को बेच दिया जाय ?

यह सच है केन्द्र सरकार ने रेडियो तरंगें निजी क्षेत्र को बेचकर राष्ट्र को भारी क्षति पहुँचायी है । रेडियो तरंगों को किसी भी क़ीमत पर निजी क्षेत्र को बेचना राष्ट्रहित में नहीं है। ये तरंगें राष्ट्र के लिए आवंटित हैं और राष्ट्र की संपदा हैं। इसी तरह मुनाफ़ा देने वाले सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के कारख़ानों के निजीकरण के प्रयासों को देखा जाना चाहिए ।

आम आदमी पार्टी का सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के कारख़ानों और संस्थानों को लेकर क्या नज़रिया है ? इस पर केजरीवाल चुप रहे ? लेकिन उनकी मुक्तबाजार की धारणा साफ़ बता रही है कि वे सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के पक्ष में नहीं हैं ।

यानी केजरीवाल को मौक़ा मिलेगा तो वे सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र को तेज़ी से निजी हाथों में सौंपेंगे ।

असल में अरविंद केजरीवाल का 'लंपट पूँजीवाद' का विरोध भी नक़ली है । वे चालाकी से इस बात को छिपा रहे हैं कि 'लंपट पूँजीवाद' तो पूँजीवाद के स्वाभाविक विकास की प्रक्रिया के गर्भ से पैदा हुआ है ।

अमेरिका को 'लंपट पूँजीवाद' का जनक माना जाता है और वहाँ पर बड़े पैमाने पर इसके दुष्परिणाम जनता को भोगने पड़े हैं । मुक्त बाज़ार का सिद्धांत अंततः 'लंपट पूँजीवाद' में जाकर ही शरण लेता है ।

'लंपट पूँजीवाद' के आदर्श नायकों का जनक नव्य आर्थिक उदारीकरण है । केजरीवाल से लेकर मेधा पाटकर तक किसी को इसे लेकर समस्या नहीं है। दिलचस्प बात यह है कि स्वयंसेवी संगठनों का जो नेटवर्क विगत 25 सालों में पैदा हुआ था उसका बहुत बड़ा हिस्सा इनदिनों आम आदमी पार्टी में समाहित हो चुका है । इसमें वे लोग भी हैं जो कल तक नव्य आर्थिक पूँजीवाद का विरोध कर रहे थे ,ज़मीनी संघर्ष चला रहे थे । लेकिन केजरीवाल के सीआईआई में दिए गए बयान ने साफ़ कर दिया है कि इन सभी रंगत के सामाजिक संगठनों का नव्य आर्थिक उदारीकरण का विरोध तात्कालिक और अवसरवादी था ।


केजरीवाल के द्वारा 'मुक्त व्यापार' की हिमायत करने को एक बड़ी राजनीतिक सफलता के रुप में भी देख सकते हैं । कम से कम केजरीवाल के ज़रिए वे तमाम संगठन जो कल तक मेधा पाटकर से लेकर लिंगराज के नेतृत्व में नव्य आर्थिक पूँजीवादी नीतियों का विरोध कर रहे थे , वे अब खुलकर मुक्त व्यापार के पक्ष में आ गए हैं। यह एनजीओ मार्का परिवर्तनकामी राजनीति में आया नया परिवर्तन है और त्रासद परिवर्तन है ।


केजरीवाल का मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत में दिया गया बयान माओवादी,नव्य वामपंथियों और दिल्ली के फ़ैशनेबुल सोशलिस्टों के अब तक के नीतिगत बयानों का अतिक्रमण करता है ।

सवाल यह है क्या ये लोग अब भी केजरीवाल के मुक्त बाज़ार ,मुक्त व्यापार और राज्य की भूमिका को लेकर दिए गए बयान से सहमत हैं ? और साथ रहना चाहते हैं ? क्या मुक्त व्यापार का नारा सिस्टम को बदल सकता है ? क्या मुक्त व्यापार की नीतियों से आम जनता के हितों की रक्षा संभव है ? क्या मुक्त व्यापार की नीतियों के चलते 'लंपट पूँजीवाद' से बचना संभव है ? राज्य को व्यापार से पूरी तरह मुक्त करके केजरीवाल किन वर्गों की सेवा करना चाहते हैं ?

केजरीवाल जिस मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत कर रहे हैं उसकी एक ज़माने में स्वतंत्र पार्टी और संगठन कांग्रेस ने जमकर हिमायत की थी और देश की संसद ने मुक्त व्यापार के सिद्धांत को अनेकबार ठुकराया है। 'मिश्रित अर्थव्यवस्था' का रास्ता मुक्त व्यापार के ख़िलाफ़ विचारधारात्मक संघर्ष के क्रम में ही जन्मा था ।

मनमोहन सिंह ने विगत २० सालों में मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत करते हुए बार बार सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र पर हमला किया है और दूरसंचार से लेकर बिजली तक सभी क्षेत्रों में निजी क्षेत्र के हाथों औने-पौने दामों पर सरकारी संपत्ति को बेचा है । विनिमयन के नाम पर मुक्त बाज़ार और बाज़ार की शक्तियों को अबाध अधिकार दिए हैं । केजरीवाल की नज़र में यह सब जायज़ दाम वसूली का मामला मात्र है । मसलन् रेडियो तरंगें हों या कोयला खदानें उनको यदि जायज़ दामों पर बेच दिया जाता तो उनको कोई आपत्ति नहीं होती । समस्या यहीं पर है।

राज्य की संपदा को निजी क्षेत्र को क्यों बेचें ? क्या सरकार संपदा का प्रबंधन सही तरीक़ों और कौशलपूर्ण ढंग से नहीं कर सकती ? क्या सरकारी प्रबंधन और संचालन की नई नीति नहीं बनायी जा सकती ?

केजरीवाल का मानना है सरकार का काम ख़ाली प्रशासन चलाना है ।व्यापार करना नहीं है । नौकरी देना सरकार की ज़िम्मेदारी नहीं है वह तो निजी क्षेत्र की ज़िम्मेदारी है । इस तरह के कल्पना विलासी नेता से तो जनता के हितों की रक्षा करना संभव नहीं लगता ।

मुक्त बाज़ार और मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत मूलत: जनतंत्र का विलोम है। मुक्त व्यापार में जनतंत्र तो अमीरों की रखैल है।

अमेरिका में मुक्त व्यापार है और वहाँ लोकतंत्र के नाम पर धनतंत्र है। आम आदमी की कोई हैसियत नहीं है। भारत में अभी भी लोकतंत्र में ग़रीब को ताक़त हासिल है और उसके बिना आप कुछ नहीं कर सकते ।

मुक्त व्यापार में लोकतांत्रिक संरचनाएँ मनमाने नियमों के तहत काम करती हैं। याद करें अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति ओबामा के पहले राष्ट्रपति चुनाव परिणामों को वहाँ मतपत्रों की गिनती पूरी किए बिना ही उनको राष्ट्रपति बना दिया गया , हमारे देश में यह संभव नहीं है। मुक्त व्यापार के जगत में नीतियों का फ़ैसला सीधे कारपोरेट घराने लेंगे और वह स्थिति भारत के लिए बेहद ख़तरनाक हो सकती है ।

केजरीवाल अपनी भाषणकला के ज़रिए नीतिगत सवालों से कन्नी काटते रहे हैं और घूम फिरकर भ्रष्टाचार के मुद्दे पर चले आते हैं। भ्रष्टाचार से लड़ना ज़रुरी है लेकिन अन्य समस्याओं से भी लड़ना ज़रुरी है।

आम आदमी पार्टी को सोचना होगा कि वे मुज़फ़्फ़रनगर के दंगों पर चुप क्यों रहे ? वे गुजरात के दंगों या सिख दंगों पर बोलते हैं लेकिन मुज़फ़्फ़र नगर के दंगों पर चुप रहते हैं,यह नहीं चलेगा।दंगों में से चुनने का सवाल नहीं है । उसी तरह मोदी की साम्प्रदायिकता पर हमले करें लेकिन दिल्ली में एक जाति विशेष के लोगों या हरियाणा में जाति विशेष के लोगों द्वारा फैलाए जा रहे ज़हर का वोटबैंक की राजनीति के दबाव के कारण विरोध ही न करना ग़लत है ।

भारत में मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत कल्पना विलास है और इससे जनता की मौजूदा बदहाली को ख़त्म नहीं किया जा सकता । केजरीवाल के पास अभी भी समय है और सोचें कि देश की आर्थिक उन्नति के लिए उनके पास नया क्या है ? मुक्त व्यापार की हिमायत तो नई बोतल में पुरानी शराब ही है और भारत की जनता यह शराब बार बार ठुकरा चुकी है ।










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  • Kumar Akhilesh sahi farmaya sir apne....

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  • VidyaNand Thakur स्पष्टवादिता

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  • Narendra Jha prajatantra hi kalpana vilasita hai . Prajatantra ki shasan vyavastha , arth vyavastha sab kuchh kalpana vilasita hai. Agar ek aparadhi bhi vote batorata hai to wahi aparadhi vidwan ban jata hai. Uske vichar hi niti ban jata hai. Kisi bhi vichar ke ga...See More

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  • Rakesh Kumar लगता है, वाम पर शीघ्र ही 'केजरीवार' होने वाला है. कांग्रेस और भाजपा पर केजरीवार से वाम-जश्न के दिन लदनेवाले हैं.

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Aam Aadmi Party

Arvind Kejriwal filed FIR against Ambani and cabinet ministers for flouting the contract, increasing the gas price and hence causing loss to exchequer while Oil minister Moily claims all rules were properly followed and AAP is ignorant. Which side is correct? This article gives a good refresher on the entire KG D6 gas basin controversy. Must read to understand the ‪#‎RILGasScam‬ issue.

10 things you should know about the Reliance KG-D6 gas deal

business-standard.com

Refresher and ready reckoner on the entire KG D6 basin controversy. Has Arvind Kejriwal raised valid questions on the gas deal?

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Jagadishwar Chaturvedi

अगला प्रधानमंत्री जेएनयू वाला ही होगा !!

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हालांकि 18 फरवरी 1946 को एच.एम.आई.एस.(हर मैजेस्टीस इंडियन शिप)तलवार पर यह विद्रोह घटिया नाश्ते के खिलाफ "भोजन नहीं तो काम नहीं" के ऐलान से फूटा,लेकिन इसकी पृष्ठभूमि में आई.एन.ए. के सैनिकों पर चलने वाले मुकदमें से फैली राजनीतिक उत्तेजना और नाविकों के साथ अंग्रेज अधिकारियों का अपमानजनक व्यवहार भी था(अपमानजनक व्यावहार के खिलाफ नाविकों ने शिकायत भी की पर उलटा उन्हें ही धमकाया गया).साथ ही इन नाविकों की चेतना पर देश में कम्युनिस्टों के नेतृत्व में चल रहे मजदूर आन्दोलन का प्रभाव भी था.

18 फरवरी को शांतिपूर्ण भूखहड़ताल से शुरू हुआ नाविकों का यह विद्रोह बहुत तेजी के साथ फैला.48 घंटे के अन्दर ही 74 जहाज,20 बेड़े,22 यूनिट और लगभग बीस हजार नाविक इस विद्रोह में शामिल हो गये.बम्बई,कलकत्ता,मद्रास,कराची,कोचीन,विशाखापत्तनम सब जगह विद्रोह की चिंगारी धधक उठी थी.इन नाविकों ने तमाम जहाज़ों पर से अंग्रेजी झंडे उतार फेंके और लाल झंडे लहरा दिए.इससे साफ़ हो गया कि मामला सिर्फ ढंग के खाने और अच्छे व्यावहार का ही नहीं है.ये नाविक ना केवल अंग्रेजी गुलामी की बेड़ियों को उतार फेंकना चाहते हैं बल्कि जनता की मुक्ति की सही रास्ते को भी पहचान रहे थे.हड़ताल के संचालन के लिए एक 36 सदसीय नेवी केन्द्रीय हड़ताल समिति बनायी गयी और सिग्नलमैन एम.एस.खान इसके अध्यक्ष व टेलेग्राफ़ ऑपरेटर मदन सिंह उपाध्यक्ष चुने गए.एक मुस्लिम को अध्यक्ष व सिख को उपाध्यक्ष बना कर देश में फूट डालने वाले अंग्रेजों और उनके इशारे पर नाचते साम्प्रदायिक राजनीति की झंडाबरदारों के मुंह पर तमाचा मारते हुए साम्प्रदायिक सौहार्द का भी सन्देश देने की कोशिश की गयी.23अप्रैल 1930 के पेशावर विद्रोह में भी इसी तरह कामरेड चन्द्र सिंह गढ़वाली के नेतृत्व में गढ़वाल राईफल ने अंग्रेजों के सांप्रदायिक विभाजन की साजिश को ध्वस्त कर दिया था.

ये नाविक केवल कोई अलग-थलग विद्रोह नहीं कर रहे थे,बल्कि राजनीतिक पार्टियों और देश की जनता से भी इन्होने समर्थन माँगा.रेडियो स्टेशन पर कब्जा कर,उनके जरिये इस विद्रोह के सन्देश को पूरे देश में प्रसारित किया गया.21 और 22 फरवरी को हड़ताल समिति ने आम हड़ताल का अह्वान किया गया.नाविकों का यह विद्रोह जो ना केवल नेवी को बल्कि आम जनता को भी प्रभावित कर रहा था,अंग्रेज सरकार के लिए चुनौती बन गया था.रॉयल इंडियन नेवी के कमांडर एडमिरल गोडफ्रे ने चेतावनी दी कि या तो विद्रोही नाविक समर्पण करें या तबाह होने को तैयार रहें.ब्रिटिश प्रधानमन्त्री क्लेमेंट एटली द्वारा इस विद्रोह को कुचलने का निर्देश आते ही ब्रिटिश फौजों इन नाविकों को सबक सिखाने उतर पडी.इस तरह यह शांतिपूर्ण हड़ताल एक हथियारबंद संघर्ष में तब्दील हो गयी.21 फरवरी को बम्बई में एक नाविक की शहादत हुई तो अगले ही दिन कराची में 14 नाविक शहीद हुए.नाविक विद्रोह के समर्थन में उतरे मजदूरों पर भी बर्बर दमन ढाया गया.23 फरवरी तक 250 नाविक और मजदूरों की शहादत हो चुकी थी.

अंग्रेज सरकार इन नाविकों के विद्रोह को कुचलना चाहती थी,यह समझ में आता है.लेकिन देश की आजादी की लडाई लड़ने वाली कांग्रेस का इस विद्रोह के प्रति उपेक्षापूर्ण और विद्रोह को खारिज करने वाला रुख समझ से परे है.23 फरवरी 1946 को ब्रिटेन की संसद में विद्रोह का ब्यौरा देते हुए प्रधानमन्त्री क्लेमेंट एटली ने भी स्वीकार किया था कि "कांग्रेस ने आधिकारिक रूप से इस विद्रोह में शामिल होने से इनकार किया है."मुस्लिम लीग की तरफ से जिन्ना ने भी बयान जारी कर विद्रोहियों को अपनी कार्यवाही समाप्त करने को कहा.जिन सरदार पटेल की विरासत पर कब्जे के लिए आजकल देश में भाजपा-कांग्रेस में रार मची हुई है,वही सरदार पटेल इस नेवी विद्रोह के खिलाफ सबसे मुखर रूप से खड़े हुए थे.सरदार पटेल ने इन विद्रोहियों के बारे में कहा कि ये "मुट्ठीभर गर्म दिमाग और पागल युवा,ऐसी हरकतों के जरिये राजनीति में दखल देने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं,जबकि उनका राजनीति से कोई लेना देना नहीं है".उन्होंने विद्रोहियों के लिए "गुंडे" जैसे संबोधनों का भी इस्तेमाल किया.नेवी विद्रोह में पटेल की भूमिका स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के नेता की नहीं बल्कि अंग्रेजों के प्रतिबद्ध वकील जैसी नजर आती है,जो किसी भी हाल में इन विद्रोही नाविकों से समर्पण करवा कर,अंग्रेजी राज की लाज रख लेना चाहता था.

अंततः तीव्र दमन,देश के नेताओं की बेरुखी और पटेल के दबाव के बीच 24 फरवरी को काले झंडे लहरा कर विद्रोही नाविकों ने समर्पण कर दिया.काले झंडे लहरा कर समर्पण करते हुए एक तरह से नाविक अपना विद्रोह ही दर्ज कर रहे थे.समर्पण से पूर्व केंद्रीय नेवी हड़ताल समिति ने जो प्रस्ताव पारित किया,वह इस देश में सामजिक बदलाव और मेहनतकश जनता की मुक्ति के लिए संघर्षरत तमाम लोगों के लिए बेहद प्रेरणादायी है.विद्रोही नाविकों ने अपने प्रस्ताव में कहा "हमारा विद्रोह हमारे लोगों के जीवन में एक बेहद महत्वपूर्ण ऐतिहासिक घटना था.पहली बार वर्दी धारी और गैर वर्दी धारी मजदूरों का रक्त एक ही धारा में, एक सामूहिक उद्देश्य के लिए बहा.हम वर्दीधारी मजदूर इस बात को कभी नहीं भूलेंगे.हम जानते हैं कि आप,हमारे सर्वहारा भाई और बहने भी कभी इसे नहीं भूलेंगे.जो हम हासिल नहीं कर सके,आने वाली पीढियां इससे सबक सीखते हुए,इस कार्यभार को पूरा करेंगी.मेहनतकश जनता जिंदाबाद,इन्कलाब जिंदाबाद".

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Shamsher Singh Bisht

भारत में एक राजनैतिक दल के रूप में 'आम आदमी पार्टी' के उदय के साथ एक नये अध्याय का सूत्रपात हुआ है। पारम्परिक राजनीति से उकताये और चुनावी राजनीति को सिर्फ भ्रष्ट और धंधेबाजों का एकाधिकार मानने वाले जागरूक लोग भी बड़े उत्साह से 'आप' की ओर आकर्षित हो रहे हैं। दिल्ली विधानसभा के चुनाव में अप्रत्याशित सफलता प्राप्त कर, स्पष्ट बहुमत न होने पर भी मतदाताओं के दबाव पर सरकार बना कर, सिर्फ 49 दिन में अधिकांश चुनावी वादे पूरे कर और भाजपा-कांग्रेस जैसे गले-गले तक भ्रष्टाचार में डूबे राजनैतिक दलों के षड़यंत्र के सामने घुटने टेक कर सत्ता से चिपके रहने की बजाय निर्लिप्तता से राजकाज छोड़ कर 'आम आदमी पार्टी' ने राजनीति में शुचिता और नैतिकता का ऐसा उदाहरण प्रस्तुत किया है, जो पिछले पचास सालों में नहीं देखा गया।पिछले चालीस सालों में 'उत्तराखंड संघर्ष वाहिनी' और 13 वर्ष पूर्व उत्तराखंड राज्य का गठन होने के बाद उसी की परम्परा में 'उत्तराखंड लोक वाहिनी' उत्तराखंड की अस्मिता और उत्तराखंडी मुद्दों के लिये लगातार संघर्ष करते रहे हैं। पिछली शताब्दी के सत्तर के दशक में होने वाले वन आन्दोलन से हाल के दिनों में विनाशकारी जल विद्युत परियोजनाओं के खिलाफ होने वाले संघर्ष में लोक वाहिनी ने नेतृत्वकारी भूमिका निभाई। इसके बावजूद उत्तराखंड में जल, जंगल, जमीन का मसला सुलझ नहीं पाया और एक के बाद एक आने वाली भाजपा और कांग्रेस की सरकारें खुले हाथों से यहाँ की बहुमूल्य प्राकृतिक सम्पदा को बड़ी-बड़ी कम्पनियों को लुटाती रहीं। कृषि बर्बाद हुई, शिक्षा-स्वास्थ्य का ढाँचा चरमराया, बेरोजगारी सारी सीमायें लाँघ गई और पलायन इतना बढ़ा कि राज्य बनने के बाद पहाड़ी जिलों में आबादी बढ़ने के बदले घट गई। अतः यह बहुत जरूरी हो गया है कि जन संघर्ष के साथ-साथ उत्तराखंड की अस्मिता की लड़ाई को अब राजनैतिक रूप में भी लड़ा जाये। 'आम आदमी पार्टी' ने इसके लिये एक मौका उपलब्ध कराया है। भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ लड़ाई से आगे 'स्वराज', जिसमें सत्ता को मोहल्लों और ग्राम सभाओं तक पहुँचाने की अवधारणा है, के प्रति अपना संकल्प घोषित कर 'आम आदमी पार्टी' ने ग्राम गणराज्य के मुद्दे को फोकस में ला दिया है। 'उत्तराखंड लोक वाहिनी' प्राकृतिक संसाधनों पर जनता की मालकियत स्थापित करने के लिये 73वाँ-74वाँ संविधान संशोधन लागू करने की हमेशा हिमायती रही है। 'आम आदमी पार्टी' के साथ रह कर यह लड़ाई बेहतर ढंग से लड़ी जा सकेगी, इसलिये वाहिनी के सदस्यों ने 'आम आदमी पार्टी' की सदस्यता ग्रहण की है। चूँकि यह कोई पंजीकृत चुनावी राजनीतिक दल नहीं है, अतः 'उत्तराखंड लोक वाहिनी' का अस्तित्व बना रहेगा और जरूरत पड़ने पर यह उत्तराखंड के मुद्दों को उठाती रहेगी।

14 फरवरी को देहरादून में एक गोष्ठी हुई, जिसमें 'आप' के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता प्रो. आनन्द कुमार और राष्ट्रीय अभियान समिति के सदस्य पंकज पुष्कर के अलावा पूर्व पुलिस महानिदेशक कंचन चैधरी, लोकप्रिय कवि नरेन्द्र नेगी और अतुल शर्मा, पर्यावरणविद शेखर पाठक और रवि चोपड़ा के साथ लोक वाहिनी और उत्तराखंड महिला मंच के सदस्य व देहरादून के पचास से अधिक प्रबुद्ध नागरिक शामिल हुए। इन्होंने 'आम आदमी पार्टी' को उत्तराखंड के परिप्रेक्ष्य में बेहद जरूरी घोषित किया। इसी रोज 'आम आदमी पार्टी' की प्रदेश चुनाव अभियान समिति का गठन हुआ, जिसमें डाॅ. शमशेर सिंह बिष्ट, पत्रकार राजीव लोचन साह, पूर्व शिक्षा निदेशक नन्द नन्दन प्रसाद पांडे, शिक्षाविद् पवन गुप्ता, जनकवि बल्ली सिंह चीमा और 'आप' के प्रदेश संयोजक हरीश चन्द्र आर्य शामिल किये गये। इस समिति का आगे विस्तार किया जायेगा। 'आम आदमी पार्टी' उत्तराखंड की सभी सीटों पर चुनाव लड़ेगी और इसके लिये उम्मीदवारों के चयन की प्रक्रिया चल रही है। (शमशेर सिंह बिष्ट)

अध्यक्ष, उत्तराखंड लोक वाहिनी

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  • Vipin Shukla आप जैसे समाजवादी मित्रों का बिना पेंदी वाली राजनीति की तरफ लुढ़कना दुखद है.

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  • Pankaj Pandey आपकी इस पहल का स्वागत है.

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Aam Aadmi Party Kerala ആം ആദ്മി പാര്ട്ടി കേരളം

ധനിക അഹന്തയ്ക്ക് ഒരു മറുമരുന്ന്

രാഷ്ട്രീയ വമ്പന്മാരെയും വ്യവസായ ഭീമന്മാരെയും ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥപ്രമുഖരെയും ഒരുപോലെ വെല്ലുവിളിക്കുന്ന അദ്ദേഹം സ്വന്തം പക്ഷത്ത് സാധാരണക്കാരെ മാത്രമേ പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നുള്ളൂ. രാഷ്‌ട്രീയ പാർട്ടികൾക്ക് നൽകുന്ന ഭീമമായ സംഭാവനയാണ് വ്യവസായികളുടെ മാന്ത്രികവടി. രാഷ്‌ട്രീയപാർട്ടികളെയും നേതാക്കളെയും വ്യവസായികൾ വരുതിയിൽ നിറുത്തുന്നത് ഈ മാന്ത്രികവടി ഉപയോഗിച്ചാണ്. തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് ചെലവേറിയ ഏർപ്പാടായതിനാൽ സംഭാവന ഒഴിവാക്കാനാവില്ല. ആം ആദ്‌‌മി പാർട്ടി സംഭാവന വാങ്ങുന്നത് സാധാരണക്കാരിൽ നിന്നാണ്. കേജ്‌‌രിവാൾ രാജിവച്ചതിന്റെ അടുത്ത ദിവസം പാർട്ടിക്ക് ലഭിച്ചത് 27.78 ലക്ഷം രൂപ! കഴിഞ്ഞ ജനുവരി 23നു 63 ലക്ഷം രൂപ ലഭിച്ചിരുന്നു. ആം ആദ്മി പാര്‍ട്ടി സംഭാവന വാങ്ങുന്നത് തികച്ചും സുതാര്യമായി.


വാര്‍ത്താ ലിങ്ക്: http://goo.gl/s4sIld

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Vallabh Pandey

पिछले साल के एक हजार करोड़ के "निर्भया फंड" को तो खर्च कर नही पाए, फिर एक हजार करोड़ किस लिए ? .... आंसू पोछने के लिए ?

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Satyendra Pratap Singh

तमिलनाडु में भी मेट्रो रेल पहुँच गई! हमारे गुजरात में पता नहीं कब पहुंचेगी

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  • Santosh Kr. Pandey पता नहीं काहें नही बनवाईस। होइ सकत है कि इंतज़ार करत होय कि कौनो अम्बानी , अदानी मिले जेका मेट्रो सेवा बेचे के जिम्मेदारी दे दीन जाय।

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  • S Shanker Ravi भाई अपने इलाके कि विकाश कि इच्छा करने पर रास्ट्रवाद संदिग्ध कैसे होगया ?मेरा विरोध येही है कि गुजरात कोई पैमाना तो है नहीं ,आप ने अपने प्रेदेश में क्या कर दिया नहीं किया तो उसपर बहस क्यो नहीं ,रही बात पटेल जी कमतर कोई नहीं है हाँ नियत ही नियति का निर्धारण करती है ,अगर उप विकशित है तो आप आनंद मनाये ,सत्ताधीश ऐसे ही ढपोरशंख चाहते है ,

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  • Arun Mishra मोदी supporters are writing / speaking about him, and opponents or non-supporters are also writing / speaking about him. All are promoting him. Good.

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  • Noor Mohammad Jab tak modi rahega tab tak sochna mana hai

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Kas Turi

Those well-intentioned ones who saw hope in AAP's filing FIRs against Ambani (poora desh aur mainstream political formations jinki dukaan hain) -- perhaps Arvind Kejriwal will help put your hopes in perspective: and I quote below from AAP's own selected highlights.


"Arvind Kejriwal talked about AAP's economic policies at CII. Following is a part of what he said; "Government has no business today in business, it should be completely left to the private sector. We are against licence and inspector raj, that are affecting the business community. Government should privatise sectrors with more competition immediately and should improve governance. We are not against capitalism, but against crony capitalism."


"In agricultural sector pricing is important, control on farmers should be lifted, we should deregulate agricultural sector."


Well I don't know how Medha Patkar, who has been a constant campaigner on people's movements, would reconcile with this reassurance to corporates by her party-head. Not sure how the functioning of NAPM can proceed parallely with such economic stands. And also a sad day for me personally, to see the once-inspirational face of NBA, Medha, being incorporated thus into the neoliberal mainstream politics, and that too, how unceremoniously. (An Ashutosh or a Gopichand, or a Dhanraj Pillai get dhamaka-welcomes, whereas we know of Medha's joining AAP only from a generic Lok Sabha candidate list.)

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Nityanand Gayen

गोबरधन के गाँव में नेताजी


पूरे देश के साथ गोबरधन के गाँव में भी पांच वर्ष पहले चुनाव हुआ था | तब गोबरधन बहुत गरीब था . चुनाव प्रचार के समय नेता जी गाँव में घूमते हुए देखे गये थे . हाथ जोड़े ऐसे घूम रहे थे जैसे कोई भिखारी भीख मांगते हुए घूमता है . ऐसे ही घूमते -घूमते एक दिन नेता जी गोबरधन की कुटिया में पहुँच गये . दुबला –पतला एक व्यक्ति कुटिया से बाहर आया . उसने देखा , सामने एक बड़ा तोंदवाला आदमी हाथ जोड़े खड़ा है .

गोबरधन ने पूछा –"क्या चाहिए ?"

नेता जी ने कहा " आपकी सेवा का एक अवसर |"

"मेरी सेवा ?" गोबरधन ने हैरानी से पूछा था . तब नेता जी ने कहा था , " जी, गोबरधन भाई , चुनाव आ गया है , आप मुझे ही मतदान करना .

"इससे मुझे क्या मिलेगा ?"

"इससे मुझे आपकी सेवा करने का अवसर मिलेगा . गाँव में खुशहाली आएगी , रोजगार के अवसर आएंगे ,स्कूल , सड़क , अस्पताल , सब कुछ मिलेगा" |

नेताजी जानते थे कि गरीब आदमी सेवा के नाम पर बहुत जल्दी भावुक हो जाता है, और पिछली सारी गलतियों को माफ़ कर देता है . ठीक ऐसा ही हुआ .

चुनाव हुआ , गाँव के सभी गोबरधनों ने नेताजी को भारी मतदान से विजयी बनाया, इस प्रकार नेताजी गाँव से दिल्ली पहुँच गए . और कभी मुड़कर गाँव की ओर नही देखा .

आज पांच साल बीत गए , फिर चुनाव आने वाला है , गाँव में खबर है कि नेताजी पिछले चुनावों में किये वादों को पूरा करने का संकल्प लेकर फिर गाँव की ओर चल पड़े हैं , किन्तु इस बार वे पैदल नही विदेशी गाड़ी से आ रहे हैं . बदलाव का प्रमाण साथ लेकर .

किन्तु ,नेता जी को यह खबर ही नहीं कि गोबरधन अब गाँव में नहीं रहता . चार साल पहले रोजगार की तलाश में गया था किसी बड़े शहर में . जहाँ एक रात उसकी लाश मिली थी किसी फूटपाथ पर .


-नित्यानंद गायेन

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Ashok Kumar Pandey

अब शायद मैं साफ़ कर पाऊँ मित्रों के सामने कि AAP वाले AK पूंजीवाद के खिलाफ़ नहीं है और सारा आर्थिक काम पूंजीपतियों के भरोसे छोड़ कर निजीकरण के उत्कट समर्थन का इरादा रखते हैं। लेकिन आपका दोस्त यह AK पूँजीवाद को भ्रष्टाचार का स्रोत मानता है निजीकरण को ग़रीबों के खिलाफ़। तो कहो मित्र कैसे निभे बेर केर के संग?

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