[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-14

[Taha Mehmood]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=33653595

The Times of India
Steps to be taken to deport Pakistanis: Advani
7 Jan 2003

NEW DELHI: Declaring a crackdown on 11,500 Pakistanis and 15 million
Bangladeshis illegally staying in India, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on
Tuesday directed state governments to launch "special drives" to detect and
deport them as they posed a serious threat to national security.
"11,500 Pakistanis have come into the country with regular papers and
passports but have overstayed. There is no reason why our states be soft on
them," he told reporters after inaugurating a day-long conference of state
chief secretaries and directors general of police here.
"Immediate steps should be taken to identify them, locate them and throw
them out. They (States) should launch special drives to detect and deport
these foreigners," Advani said pointing out that powers of the Central
government to detect and deport illegally residing foreign nationals have
been delegated to States and Union territories.
Voicing concern over the "serious problem" of illegal immigration from
Bangladesh, he said, "This problem also needs to be tackled firmly by all
state governments". He also asked the police top brass to present figures of
how many illegally overstaying Pakistanis were traced last year.
Observing that the Centre is seriously considering preparing a National
Register of Indian Citizens and issuing to them Multi-purpose National
Identity Cards (MNICs), Advani said these would provide a credible
individual identification system and also act as a deterrent for future
illegal immigration.
Advani, who also holds the home portfolio, allayed fears from certains
quarters about the practicability of issuing such cards and said "with
advanced technology that we have, we can successfully implement this".
Referring to a recent conference on registration of births and deaths, he
expressed dismay that many states had no correct figures on demographic
changes.
On Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, Advani said Islamabad's main
intention was not to get Jammu and Kashmir but destabilise India.
"Secularism and democracy have taken roots in India and this has become an
eyesore for our western neighbour which feels that it cannot live together
and alongside with such a system," he said.
Observing that Pakistan launched the proxy war after having been defeated in
direct wars with India, Advani said, Islamabad "will not succeed in its
attempt to destabilise India"
Asserting that every effort should be made to defeat and eliminate
terrorists, the Deputy Prime Minister said that focus should also be on
those people who functioned within the country and made it vulnerable to
terrorist designs.
Recalling that India has formed joint working groups with several countries
to combat terrorism, he said, "No country however big and powerful it may be
can feel safe from terrorist activities. The September 11 attacks on the US
has proved this. All countries should join hands to fight the menace".