[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-73

[Taha Mehmood]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2676082,prtpage-1.cms

The Times of India	
	
'Dangerous, draconian, autocratic'
5 Jan 2008, 0108 hrs IST, TNN


NEW DELHI: Lieutenant-governor Tejendra Khanna's announcement on
Friday elicited mixed reactions from eminent lawyers and rights
activists. Most though agreed on one count — giving policemen the
power to interrogate citizens merely for not possessing a photo
identification document is akin to making Delhi a police state. Only
some felt that the security situation was dire enough to warrant such
a move.

Describing the move as "dangerous and uncalled for" Rajinder Sacchar,
former chief justice Delhi High Court and former president, People's
Union for Civil Liberties said: "So many people in the city do not
even have photo i-cards, this is like putting the blame for the
government's own failures on hapless citizens. This is so stupid,
silly and autocratic that it sounds like some order from the 15th
century and they are just trying to cover up their own lack of
surveillance. Where will all these migrant workers in the city get
i-cards from?"

Echoing his sentiments, lawyer Prashant Bhusan said: "This is a
draconian thing to do and will basically put people at the mercy of
policemen. A lot of the poor people in the city do not have a photo
identification — as I have been saying for many years now. What will
they do? This will put a lot of undue power in the hands of the police
force, which is not a good thing."

The move would, on the face of it at least, sound like a plan to
convert Delhi into a police state, agreed lawyer P N Lekhi. But he was
clear that if the interests of security be thus served, for a short
duration till the Republic Day at least, the move could yield results.

"For the purpose of ensuring security against terror groups, it might
be essential to verify the identities of people in Delhi and ascertain
that their intentions are not deleterious to the public. After what
happened in Rampur and the threats of terrorists on the one hand and
Naxals on the other, the apparently drastic exercise may be necessary
at least to ensure that January 26 passes off peacefully," Lakhi said.