After many months, we now see the true colors of the Unique Identity (UID) number that Nilekani is so keen to foist on the Indian public. At a function organized by the Indo American Chamber of Commerce, he admitted that the real motivation for the UID was to track people. He also said that in time, if someone didn’t have a UID, that would in itself be suspicious.
Long ago, it was feared that the UID will be used for mass surveillance. Nilekani goes so far as to say that all hotels might be required to demand a UID from those who stay there – not for purposes of credit or to ensure payment, but simply so that the government will be able to keep track of who is where.
Image Credit: Aquila
The obvious question is, where will this stop? If hotels demand a UID before you can stay in them, will it be long before a theater asks for it before you can watch a movie? Even worse, can a policeman randomly stop you on the road and ask for it as well? This isn’t the same as being asked for a driver’s license since not everyone should be allowed to drive if they’re not qualified. But asking for an ID “just to check up on you” is an invasion of privacy. However, since privacy is a legal right in India, I wonder how such procedures would stand up in court.
To assume that the government won’t become more and more intrusive if it has the ability is stupid. Whenever governments get too much power, disaster ensues. We can rest assured that slowly, bit by bit, the uses of this UID will continue to increase and become more and more pervasive if technologically feasible. Most of us still don’t realize how much the loss of privacy will hurt. They will learn once they do lose it. In that way, this whole experiment is a good thing. It’ll be painful, but it might just be the start of an experience that will teach us the value of what we take for granted in a free country like India.
@Sraboney
Amen!
But isn’t it true that there are more than 2crores of Bangladeshis living in this country illegally.
We can keep check on this if we have UID implemented.
If you are visiting any college and not carrying your ID card then college guards might not let you in. So in this case you make an entry to their visitors logbook.
Why a country to be a place of free wandering for illegal immigrants, like Bangladeshis, who create law and order issues every now and then?
जय भारत!
कृषीदेश
I don’t see anything wrong with it…The American govt. can track a citizen thru his/her SSN so what’s wrong with the Indian govt. doing the same? I’d rather be safe than have foreign terrorists entering and exiting my country at will…
The primary purpose of the SSN was to track individuals for tax purposes but now it has become a de facto national identification number…Not only the US, but other countries also have identification numbers…
I’m assuming you have a SSN…So as an honest resident, you have already given up all your privacy rights in the US…The people that haven’t given up these rights are the crooks, terrorists and illegals because it is easy to scam the system…As a law abiding citizen, you freely show your SSN card and your passport to your new employer, to the DMV, to the bank, to your landlord and so on…If it’s not a problem for you there, why should it be a problem for you in India?
I don’t care if the government tracks me as long as my information is not misused by the government or falls into wrong hands…
In reply to Sraboney
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. (by Benjamin Franklin)
Ever considered why those bangladeshis are able to get in our country so easily, are you willing to surrender your freedom beacuse of the incompetence of our politicians in making our borders secure, are you willing to give your freedom rather than speak up against politicians who play the communal card because of which these illegal and drain on the country foreigners can stay here of course you are.
You sir are above all a sheep and a dumbass and what is worrying is that there are may of you.
"I don't care if the government tracks me as long as my information is not misused by the government or falls into wrong hands… " It will be abused monsieur dumbass, this ain't heaven and govt isn't being run by angels.
In reply to anonymous
Good points A. But Sraboney's one of my regular readers – it's not good manners to insult someone.
@संदीप नारायण शेळके
In my opinion, we choose to go to a college and so we must abide by its rules. But we are Indians by birth not by choice, and we shouldn’t have to prove who we are in our own country which we have a right to stay in.
I don’t feel that we must judge an entire community merely by the actions of a few. Also, in addition to remove a few illegal immigrants, we mustn’t subject the entire Indian population to surveillance.
“Innocent until proven guilty” is the law of the land. But when you’re asked for your ID, it’s assumed that you’re guilty. And that’s wrong.
@Sraboney
The SSN is a big problem for me in the US. I refused to get one until my wife said I had to have it for tax purposes. I’ve frequently complained about the SSN and fought tooth and nail against having one. I don’t like being a number.
Also, you’re not asked for your SSN wherever you go. Certainly not in hotels. Finally, the SSN isn’t mandatory. True, it’s difficult to live without one, but you’re allowed to live. Nilekani plans to make it compulsory. I have a problem with that.
Nilekani can only dream of making it compulsory…Does everybody have a PAN? No…Indians have a knack for living as they want to and not as the law demands one to…
@indianhomemaker
I share your optimism. But I'm pretty sure that there can't be duplicates since each number will be linked to a person's unqiue biometrics. Ten fingers and iris scans. That itself is enough to creep me out!
Will it be like Voter ID cards? Or Ration Cards? Knowing us we will find many of have more than one!
Even birth certificates are not reliable here. I have heard of people who got their adopted child a birth certificate (adopted children only get a Birth Affidavit, which is sometimes a problem in opening bank accounts etc, until they get their High School certificates). Then there are those who change birthdays and birth years, to be able to give some competitive exams longer (they give this logic).
Making UID compulsory is not right.
In Singapore where I live, they have biometric ID cards for everybody…We are required to give the number even when participating in contests!
The doctors are supposed to inform the govt. when vaccinations are administered etc. i.e. the govt. keeps track of everything…
@Sraboney & @bhagwad
SSN should not be given to your landlord. They have no reason to have it. They do not need to run a credit check with your SSN despite what they tell you. Your SSN is only for your bank, taxes and certain government institutions (DMV, for example). You do not need to give it to your school, your credit card company (difficult here, but I'm told it can be done), your insurance company or most other institutions that ask for it. It is certainly not tracked in the way that it is asked for at a hotel.
However, it would be pretty much impossible for any citizen/resident not to have one. A bank account, an employer and tax returns are pretty much unavoidable necessities of adult life.
I would be much more concerned about an A number than a SSN.
Here, as well, there is no constitutional right to privacy – though some implied rights certainly exist. I don't think a right to privacy is the same as a right to not have to identify yourself.
But to @Sandeep and the other commenters who suggest that a UID for tracking people is a good idea and law abiding citizens have nothing to worry about, I have two words for you: nine eleven.
The Third President, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) said,
"Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one."
*****
[excuse my side rant:
The police can ask you to identify yourself at any time. As far as I know, you don't have to show identification (nobody is forced to carry around an ID) but you'd have to state your name and address. The ACLU has info on their website on what to do if stopped by the police.
But let's face it, we carry cell phones, we make most purchases with debit/credit cards, we access the internet at home/work without using tor servers or other technologies to mask our identities or whereabouts. All of our e-mail is on a third party server like gmail or Yahoo. Much of our communication goes over IP (and for all that was initially said about Skype, the encryption can be cracked). We place photos of ourselves, our friends, our habits on Facebook. All of this information can be easily obtained by the government with, or even without warrant. We can complain about the Big Brother, but in practice, we have already given away these freedoms]