[Reader-list] Do we really want a National Identity Card in India?

[Jeebesh]

dear Taha,

Agreed that the new information regime and bio metric forms of  
identification will be a difficult and troubling thing in our daily  
life. But my only caution is that we need to look beyond hyper claims  
beyond these methods and technologies. The Election I Card was such a  
big multi crore project and made it's initiator (Mr.Sheshan) a  
national figure for few days. Now it has passed into the document  
folder of identification (9 documents are allowed for voting - see  
text below), and it's initiators stands forgotten.

The drive to consume huge amount of social surplus on security and  
identification has it's limits. It will reach a deadend soon. If a  
neighbourhood has to spend half it's inhabitants resource on security  
and identification procedure it will go bust and implode inward. Same  
i guess will operate at bigger levels. The fear-hype around these  
drives are to build a consensus around it. Security services,  
surveillance technologies, identification software all are  
beneficiaries and so they will invest on this hyper fear-hype.

The two present axis of rule - Development without Dissent and Terror  
as Security will find some supporters and vocal demagogues. May even  
get a consolidated time of State access. But it will run into grave  
difficulty and it's social cost will be too high. Ofcourse who will  
bear the cost will always be specific. But this time around the costs  
will be much more distributed.

Maybe we need to find a way to discuss these development from a  
vantage point that does not accelerate the fear-quotient of these  
processes.

warmly
jeebesh

ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi-110 001.
No. 3/4/ID/2008/J.S.II/(TP)
Dated: 16-02-2008

"I am directed to enclose herewith Order dated 16-02-2008 regarding
identification of electors at the current general election to Tripura  
Legislative Assembly. The
Commission has directed that all electors in each of the 60 Assembly  
Constituencies shall
bring the EPIC when they come for voting. Those who fail to bring EPIC  
can be identified
by means of the photographs on the electoral rolls. In the case of  
those electors whose
identity cannot be established by means of the photograph on the  
electoral rolls, the identity
shall be established by means of any of the NINE alternative documents  
prescribed following
certain procedures enumerated in the said Order." (emphasis mine)

http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:cpirKEgTZcUJ:www.eci.gov.in/CurrentElections/tripura_ins/ins_200208.pdf+Documents+valid+for+voting+in+election+in+india&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&client=safari
On 12-Nov-08, at 11:30 AM, Taha Mehmood wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> This is to let you know that the GOI has sanctioned 300 crores for  
> preparing
> a national population register. This amount is however the tip of the
> iceberg. As the actual cost of the National ID complete with a  
> digital smart
> card and other backup infrastructure will cost a huge amount of  
> money. NXP
> or Next Experience a company which is wholly owned by Phillips has  
> opened
> its shop in India anticipating major tenders.
>
> Regards
>
> Taha
>
>
>
> http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=oct2208/at01
>
>
> *Rs 300 cr for national population register*
> Spl correspondent
> NEW DELHI, Oct 21 – Following reports of illegal migrants trying to  
> enrol
> themselves as Indian citizens, the Centre is mulling a National  
> Population
> Register (NPR). Planning Commission has sanctioned Rs 300 crore for  
> the
> Project in the 11th plan. The Centre has, meanwhile, completed the  
> pilot
> project on Multi-purpose national identity cards (MNIC) in March. The
> Government has distributed 12 lakh identity cards in the selected  
> areas in
> 12 States including border districts of Assam and Tripura. MNIC  
> centre would
> remain functional till March 2009 for maintenance and up dating of the
> database and issuing identity cards.
>
> Minister of State for Home Affairs, Dr Shakeel Ahmed said that there  
> is a
> proposal to create National Population Register (NPR) by collecting
> information on specified items of each resident along with population
> enumeration at the time of next decennial Census in 2011.
>
> The preparatory work for NPR has been initiated, Dr Ahmed said.
>
> Solution to the vexed foreigners problem of Assam is now tied up  
> with up
> dating of the National Register of Citizens. The modalities for  
> updating the
> NRC are currently pending clearance of the Home Ministry.
>
> The Government of India has, meanwhile, sanctioned construction of  
> 3407 km
> of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border, out of which 2627 km,  
> (77 per
> cent), has been completed and the remaining work is scheduled to be
> completed by March, 2010, Selvi said.
>
> The BSF has apprehended 21,399 illegal infiltrators since 2005 on the
> Indo-Bangladesh border, the Minister added.
> _________________________________________
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