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The Indian Government has long been interested in issuing all citizens a Multipurpose National ID Card (MNIC). While I am certain that this scheme has been introduced with the very best intentions, I am afraid that it will lead to a serious invasion of the privacy of Indian citizens as well as encroach upon other constitutional rights such as the right to freedom of movement.
The government’s official press release of the scheme shows how the card can be used to facilitate many aspects of governance. However, it is the word “Multipurpose” that scares me. What are the restrictions that can be placed on it’s use? The concept of Privacy in India is still in it’s nascence and a card of this sort can come to be a de facto Identity document to “prove” yourself. Especially if it is compulsory to carry it at all times.
The government’s plan to tie all databases together using one card will make it hard to resist the temptation to use the ID card to ask citizens to “prove” who they are. How do you feel about being asked to show your card when you enter a theater, or even when you walk on the road?
Is it possible for a point to come when I will be required to carry my card with me on the streets to “prove myself” to any passing Policeman who chooses to check? We saw earlier how the Supreme Court defined privacy in India and one such definition was “the right to be left alone. This right will inevitably be violated by such actions. In addition, in the Preamble of the Constitution, citizens have the right to a life of dignity. How can dignity possibly be maintained without a right to privacy? Without the right to be “let alone?”
In time, the card will almost certainly come to be more important than the individual. A sort of “stamp” where you are no one without it (almost like the Social Security Number in the US). Unless we protest against the dehumanizing effects of this card, it will come upon us from behind and we’ll never know what hit us.
my right to be left alone INCLUDES helping the government of my country to enhance my security. in today's scenario there might be many among us who are a threat to our physical security. if this card, would, to some extent, eliminate that threat, i would cooperate with the inconvenience of having to carry it around when i leave home. dont i anyway carry money when i leave home, in case i need to buy something ? or the car keys in case, i am driving, or wear footwear before i leave the house ? why not an ID card to help the government protect me more efficiently ? i agree with the view, that if i have nothing to hide, i have no reason to be insecure or uncooperative
I agree that we must help the government improve security. The question is, at what cost? You may think that the compulsory carrying of a card is a small thing – but consider what it means:
People still discriminate based on Religion and caste. In a country where people are trying to create their own identity, a card displaying a person's caste or creed will create the perfect opportunity for more violence. Imagine during the Godhra riots, a crowd would just need to catch people, look at their card, see if they're muslim and kill them – even if the person was an atheist and his parents were muslim and he doesn't know the first thing about Islam.
The same is true of caste based discrimination. Whereas people are trying to overcome caste barriers at their workplace, a card showing a person to be of a lower caste can face discrimination where earlier he would never have told them and they would never have asked – but since it's on a card it's official.
In other words, discrimination becomes state sanctioned instead of a personal choice. Instead of trying to abolish caste, the government is trying to make it permanent.
With regard to always have to carry money, it's not illegal to be without cash. I can go for a walk without carrying anything but my clothes. To carry a card to "prove" myself to be an Indian to any passing policeman is outrageous.
History has shown that once the government gets a taste of control over their citizen's private lives it doesn't stop there. We have seen this in Germany with the Nazis, and with the Chinese. Once privacy and freedom have been lost, it's almost impossible to get them back from the government. And only when they are lost will we miss them – you don't notice it like the air you breathe.
The famous quote from Benjamin Franklin is the most appropriate here:
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. "
nowhere do i see ' religion ' mentioned in the sample ID card on display. do i not carry a driving license with me and registration book whenever i drive.? if i am stopped by a policeman and i dont have them with me i can be fined and taken to the police station. we have all complied with this, without a word ! in all my years of driving, i've not be harassed even once because i carry my driving license with me. we know that it helps genuine victims get justice, like in case there are intoxicated drivers on the road. Also in India, it is sometimes a headache to prove that you are indeed an Indian and live in a certain place. some agencies ask for passports and pan numbers ( what about the millions who have neither ) for a simple fundamental right such as opening a bank account. others ask for driving licenses, latest phone bills, property tax reciepts,driving licenses etc ( again think of the millions who wouldnt have any of these ). Having one identity card that could be used to prove that you are a citizen of India and that you reside at a certain address, would surely simplify identification procedues.
In reply to tp
how to apply for MNIC card… can you send details regarding the card and were to apply for that card to this mail id…
I live in TIRUNELVELI-Tamil Nadu….
The purpose of a driving license is to ensure that you have the right to drive and have passed a driving test.
If I am forced to carry my National ID card when I go for a walk, what does it mean? That I have to prove I have the right to "live?" That is what this card will become if it is mandatory to carry it at all times – it will become a "license to live."
Also, the data associated with the card goes far beyond what is merely printed on it. Each card number will be in a database somewhere with a lot of other associated information. According to the government, such data includes school admissions, banking details, credit data, which airlines you travel on, as well as caste information.
So even if religion is not expressly mentioned on the card (And that is a sample. It might be there in the end) it'll still be sitting on a backend database. All data in digital form in one place will be a goldmine for those who want to exploit it. And do you trust the BJP? If they come to power, they will have a ready database for religious discrimination at the touch of a button. I don't put it beyond them at all. India is not ready for such a card.
Now you can see why it's dangerous. The government can as and when they please keep adding more and more information to this database to track what you're doing. Surely this goes beyond mere identification? A little bit of history searching will tell you what exactly has happened in the past with other countries. Do we wish to brush aside history?
Basically, the government has no business to know all about me. The best government is one that does not interfere with it's citizens. To quote someone, "That government is best which governs least."
The police in India have a reputation for abusing their power whenever they can. Do you want to give them even more?
stupid you didn't tell how to get this card
Please make me an id card and send it to the above emial
Thanks a lot