[Reader-list] Dr. Mabuse in Old Delhi?

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear All,

For those of you who know the Fritz Lang film - The Thousand Eyes of  
Dr. Mabuse, this might be of interest, below. An interesting report  
filed in today's Indian Express

regards

Shuddha

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Walled City residents up in arms over MCD cameras in locality
Sahim Salim, Indian Express, Posted online: Friday , May 09, 2008 at  
12:13:13
Indian Express
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Walled-City-residents-up-in- 
arms-over-MCD-cameras-in-locality/307260/


New Delhi, May 8 In what could turn a major headache for the ruling  
party in an election year, residents of the Walled City are outraged  
at the municipal corporation’s plan to bring the area under camera  
surveillance.
While the Municipal Corporation of Delhi says the rotating, all- 
season 5-km range cameras are meant to check illegal construction and  
encroachment in the area, locals fear their misuse and a consequent  
violation of privacy.
The cameras, three of them, were installed in the Old Delhi area on  
an experimental basis - at Jama Masjid gate number 2, Kasturba Gandhi  
Hospital building and the LIC building on Asaf Ali Marg. The 3D GIS  
project was the brainchild of Union Minister for Science and  
Technology Kapil Sibal, who is from the Chandni Chowk constituency.

But when contacted, Sibal washed his hands of the project, claiming  
that the reins of the project have been handed over to the MCD.The  
monitoring room in MCD’s City Zone office has 10 screens, with  
officials working round the clock. The locals, however, feel that  
since the cameras are installed at residential areas, the monitoring  
officials can misuse them.One of the cameras, installed in Jama  
Masjid, has already been pulled down. The Shahi Imam, Ahmed Bukhari,  
was reportedly not happy with it and had it removed.Bukhari  
reportedly said that he was initially told that the cameras were  
going to be used to track down pickpockets.

When he came to know that they were going to be used for tracking  
illegal constructions, Bukhari had reportedly said, it set him  
thinking as to what illegal construction can possibly take place near  
or inside the mosque. “This has been done to unveil Muslim women,” he  
had reportedly alleged.Residents feel that the cameras are being used  
to target their community. Nowhere else have such cameras been  
installed in residential colonies, they point out.

A local journalist, Amir Salim Khan, said: “I have seen the visuals  
from the cameras. These cameras are so powerful, that if focused at  
night, activities inside a bedroom can clearly be seen.”Khurram  
Iqbal, a counsellor in Jama Masjid area, admitted that the residents  
are feeling insecure about the cameras. “The cameras have not served  
their purpose anyhow, so far as curbing illegal constructions is  
concerned. I am planning to take up the issue with the standing  
committee soon,” he added.

The MCD, however, is planning to carry on with the programme. Vijay  
Singh, MCD Deputy Commissioner (City Zone) said once the remaining  
six are installed, “we will be able to keep a better watch on illegal  
constructions in the area”.As for the residents’ fears about the  
cameras invading their privacy, it is “really uncalled for, as MCD  
officials have better things to do than indulge in immoral  
activities,” he added.


Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net