I endorse. Mahtab Alam, Civil Rights' Activist and Journalist
On 28/04/2010, Anivar Aravind <[email protected]> wrote: > > *Endorse this citizen statement on UID by commenting on following > Blogpost or by sending a mail to anivar at movingrepublic.org* > > http://thefishpond.in/anivar/2010/citizens-against-uid > > We, representatives of people’ movements, mass organizations, institutions > and concerned individuals including all the undersigned strongly oppose the > potential tracking and profiling based techno-governance tools such as the > Unique Identification number (UID) by the Government of India and the manner > in which legitimate democratic processes have been undermined through this. > > The proposed UID project seems to be perched on an anti-people perspective > and violates a number of basic rights guaranteed under Part III of the > Constitution of India including Articles 14, 15, 17, 19 and 21 viz., the > Rights to equality, dignity, privacy, expression and the right not to be > discriminated against, The project seems to be aimed at profiling people by > pooling in biometric and retinal data pertaining to an individual and could > be potentially discriminatory in a country where caste identity is the most > predominant socio-political marker. Further, it is a travesty on the dignity > and privacy of individuals. At another level, given the fact that more than > one third of our population live below the substantial level called “poverty > line” and without literacy & numeracy, a large section of our population > would find itself unable to handle this number in a meaningful way and thus > face the danger of virtually stripped of their citizenship and thereby the > very legitimacy of their existence on the land of this country. > > This project which has been launched at a budgeted cost of INR 1270 Crores > for the year 2010-2011 in a country where the Government has officially > declared that 400 million of its citizens are living below poverty line is , > thus an insult to the dignity of the Peoples of India. The project headed by > a person of the rank of the Union Cabinet Minister, whose appointment was > not transparent and a staff overhead of more than 100 is also working under > the most non-transparent processes and we fear that the decisions are made > and influenced by vested private and corporate interests who have had a > record of anti-people and anti-democratic activities. *There is no wide > public discussion on the feasibility or desirability of the project.* > > It is in this context that we have serious objections to the way the > decadal census process is being used to pitch the UID process and no > discussion on this has happened in any of the democratic forums including > the Parliament, which also transgresses n the right to dignity and privacy > of individuals and their choice to opt out of the UID process. If the UID > continues to be tagged with the Census process – we would also consider > boycotting the same. It is a matter of great concern that the powers that be > have deliberately kept silent on the inter linkage between the UID and > current mode of census > In this situation it is not clear which decisions are being made by the > private sector or by the elected representatives. There are proposals within > this project that will result in changes to the PDS, food subsidy, MGNREGS > etc are being put forward by the Planning commission and UIDAI. They suggest > that instead of food grains, cash subsidies must be given to beneficiaries > which can be encashed at public or private sector shops. > > In the past the changes in policy were achieved through influence and > lobbying, but now entrepreneurs have been appointed as non-politicians with > cabinet rank. While the project was hailed as a “gamechanger” and a welfare > measure, the public at large have expressed growing concerns about the UID > and its implications for ordinary citizens. Many questions are being raised > about the nature, status and aims of the scheme. Countries such as the UK, > Australia and the USA have found similar measures unworkable due to the > serious probability of abuse and the strong opposition of the public. There > is a huge expenditure proposed for the UID. The UID would affect every > citizen. We as groups and individuals feel the need to engage the larger > public in an open discussion about the UID and its proposed scope, > implementation, benefits and risks. We are also mobilising public opinion on > issues and concerns about the UID. > *We the undersigned demand that > > * the UID project be scrapped with immediate effect > * all the transactions undertaken by the UIDAI project be scrutinised by > an accountable public body from the democratic governance structure in a > transparent manner taking into consideration the concerns of the all the > peoples before venturing into the implementation stage > * the financial and technological implications and the costs incurred so > far, including details of contracts entered into with respect to the UID > project be made transparent > * the Census and UID project be forthwith de-linked* > > Endorsed by > > Moving Republic, Bangalore > Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore > Citizens Action Forum, Bangalore > PUCL, Karnataka. > Slum Janandolana > Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore > Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF) > PEACE, New Delhi > Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Badvani(MP) > South Indian Cell for Human Rights Education & Monitoring (SICHREM), > bangalore > Posco Prathirodh Sangram Samithi, Orissa > Adivasi Mulvasi Astitva Raksha Manch, Jharkhand > Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, Himachal Pradesh > National Hawkers Federation > Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) > Nagpur Municipal Corporation Employees Union > Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh > Peoples' Solidarity Concerns- Bangalore > Janvikas, Orissa > Other Media Communications, Bangalore > Visual search, Bangalore > Theeradesa MahilaVedi, Kerala > National Coastal Women's Movement, Chennai > Alliance of women's right in Disaster(ANWORD), Chennai > Kerala Tourism watch > Dalit Women's Forum, Andhra Pradesh > Centre for Education and Documentation, Mumbai > IPTA (Bihar) > EKTA (commitee for communal amity), Mumbai > EQATIONS, Bangalore > Openspace, Bangalore > Rajadhari Basti Uriyan Parishad, Orissa > Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Vikas Kendra > Asangatit karmakar Shramik Union, UP > Munsikhan Mawat vikas Community Foundation, Alwar, Rajasthan > Pondichery Slum Dwellers Federation > Himpravesh, solar, Himachal Pradesh > Chhattisgarh Action Reserch Team (CART), Raipur > ViBGYOR Film Collective, Kerala > Adivasi, Sarumgi Vikas Sangh, Gujarat > Samata, Orissa > Society for Culture & Development, Kerala > Youth Initiative for Leadership Training, Kerala > Patabhedam Magazine, Calicut, Kerala > Global Alternate Information Applications(GAIA), Thrissur, Kerala > Kabani - The Other Direction, Kerala > Pedestrian Pictures, Bangalore > Just Peace Foundation, Manipur > > Individuals > Anivar Aravind > Vinay Byndoor, > Vinay Srinivasa > Bobby Kunju > Chittaranjan Singh (PUCL-UP) > Hiren Gandhi , Darsan, Ahamedabad > Dr SINILAM , KSS, INSOCO, Kerala > Sakthiman Ghosh, Kolkotta > Raajen singh ,Social Activist, Mumbai > Sarasila Pradhan, Orissa > Animanand Ekka, Chhattisgarh > Surekha Kanwar, Chhattisgarh > Kumud Nandgave, Raipur, Chattisgarh > Sanjay Sachan, Laxmi Grameena Vikas Samsthan, UP > Azma Azis, UP > Jannu Anand , nagpur > Deen Dayal Vyas, Chethana Sansthan, Alwar, Rajasthan > Dharmapat Ranjit, Kandhamal, Orissa > Rajan, Indo Global Social Service Society, bangalore' > Subaih Dehariya, Villege Andol, Madhya Pradesh > Bhuvanlal Dehariya,Villege Andol,Madhya Pradesh > Ramsumes Pal, Madhya Pradesh > M. Latha Mageswari, Mahila Milan, Pondicheri > P. Satyakama , WORD, Puduchery > J.S Dhukhia, Solar, Himachal Prasesh > Bibin K R Rai , Officer, Urban Poverty IGSSS, New Delhi > Dr Mohan Sigh Panwar, Daliyon ka Daghiya , Uttarkhat > RP Sahi, Participatory Action Group, Lucknow > waheeda Rehman, Jan Swaraj Trust, Ahmedabad > Qureshi Mohd. Arif, Jan Swaraj Trust, Ahmedabad > Asha Makade, Chhattisgarh Action Reserch Team (CART), Raipur > Vijayakumar H Kulkarni, Karnataka > Deliakar, CNDP, New Delhi > Alok Mohanti , Orissa > Imran khan, Journalist, Indian Express > Indu Praksh Singh > Ruchi Gupta > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Green Youth Movement" group. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > -- MD. MAHTAB ALAM [email protected] Phone:+ 91-9811209345 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
