[Reader-list] Notes from a contested history of Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) in India:1999-2007

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Naeem,

Thank you for your mail. I think that in India, a national identity card is
slowly being peddled as a solution for all the social ills. For instance
after the recent Mumbai bomb lasts, the one person who thought national
identity card was the key, was Preity Zinta. In a panel discussion on NDTV
last week it was interesting to watch her articulate her Big Idea- a la
solution to all the problems pertaning to 'terrorism'. She was of the
opinion that all Indians must be fingerprinted and a National Identity Card
must be issued to all. :)

But that apart I would be glad if you pass this essay around. I wrote this
essay as a backgrounder for a conference last year. This was not published
anywhere. The material for this essay was gleaned from my research with the
Information Society project at Sarai (2004-2007). While you are at the
please feel free to have a look at other essays that I have posted on the
Reader-list during the past month. These essays cover the discourse around
the Multiple-Purpose National Identity Card in India from a range of
perspectives.

I would be happy if you could share similar/divergent discourses on National
Identity cards or smart cards in Bangladesh/ US or elsewhere. I am quite
aware of discourse with respect to US but I am curious if there exists an
emerging discourse in Bangladesh.

Kind regards

Taha