Why did I say "NO TO AADHAAR" ?

Disclaimer‎: This article is not against all forms of identity cards. But against centralised storage of personal and biometric data for identity verification.

I said "NO" because I was not able to find conclusive answers to some questions that popped up in my mind. I'd like to share those with you guys:

* Linking of cash benefit transfer with UID made it mandatory contrary to its continued claim that it is voluntary? 

* Where is the data stored and can the government assure the citizens that it is safe?

* The indiscriminate collection of biometrics of prisoners is not allowed as per Identification of Prisoners Act. Are we worse than prisoners?

* Why have European Union and countries like UK, Australia, France, Philippines etc. has rejected UID like projects?

* Is India the testing ground for Superpowers?

* Whosoever has access to your data can be trusted or has the corruption ended in India?

* Who is Nandan Nilekani to play with billions of our tax money and authorise large corporates which are closely linked with foreign intelligence agencies to collect our data?

* How can we trust one man Nilekani when there is no regulatory mechanism to ensure that the data collected is not tampered with or remains secure. "Big Brother"- nuff said !

I'd like to quote renowned writer Arundhati Roy, “The UID is a corporate scam which funnels billions of dollars into the IT sector. To me, it is one of the most serious transgressions that is on the cards. It is nothing more than an administrative tool in the hands of a police state.”

"In the meanwhile, no person should suffer for not getting the Aadhaar card in spite of the fact that some authority had issued a circular making it mandatory and when any person applies to get the Aadhaar Card voluntarily, it may be checked whether that person is entitled for it under the law and it should not be given to any illegal immigrant."
-Supreme Court Order in WP 494 of 2012 on September 23rd 2013

"Indians should resist the national population register and Aadhaar,which violate privacy", Richard Stallman, Free Software Pioneer.

I'd like to conclude with a famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, Father of our Nation "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.”

The impact and consequences should have been studied and conveyed to the people before collecting the information. There is still time to ask the Indian government to dismantle that colossal database, like the UK did.

-=-