[Reader-list] database

[joy at www.sarai.net]

In the light of present communal situation in India, I would like to question 
the usefulness of local histories and databases of communities. It is often 
found that these kinds of information become instrumental in identifying the 
rival community. Voter identity cards or ration cards are used to identify 
the community and attack them.

Even during normal situation large section of population who are often 
referred as “illegal habitants” wants to hide themselves from police and 
state. In such situation also these databases can become useful for the 
state. In fact most of them are living in the city because of ability to 
maintain the transparency of identity.

At one end if we talk about surveillance and at the other end create academic 
archive and databases of such information; I wonder whom we are actually 
helping. Who needs the ordered information in the present control freak 
social relation?

Joy