[Reader-list] Nilekani takes over as chief of identity project Thursday- 157

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All,

A friend recently mentioned to me that just as the big dam was the big
technological idea of India of the 20th century; sixty years later it
is the UIDC which is emerging as the big idea of the 21st. Just like
it was big dams which led to growth of industries like iron and steel
and cement industries so as UIDC will usher substantial growth in semi
conductor, chip manufacturing, IT industries. His analysis was that
just as big dams couldn't sustain as an idea and led to mass uprooting
of people, devastation of ecology, endemic corruption in the system,
so as UIDC will lead to mass identity thefts, absolute power in the
hands of the State, and gradual erosion of trust among society. Just
as big dams were led by technocrats who are trained to rule and not
govern so as will Nilekani's at the helm and MBA's filling in the dots
of the information pyramid governance will take a back seat to these
ruthless machinist rulers of personal and private information.

This is an extremely persuasive argument. We have, in big dams, an
idea, which was a gigantic failure. This failure is etched in our
collective memories. However one must carefully go about comparing
these two ideas before arriving at an analogy. Big dams deeply
devastated the lives of those people who were the owners of land while
UIDC is going to have an affect on lives of all of us. There is
difference of scale here which cannot be ignored. One cannot discount
the fact the big dams for whatever they were worth resulted in not
only in generation and distribution of electricity but also in
distribution of water for irrigation and drinking likewise UIDC will
also have collateral benefits. It is true that big dams led to large
scale and systemic corruption but it is also true that it led to large
scale and systemic employment however with UIDC it seems the only
people who will be gainfully employed will be those who have access to
knowledge. If big dams were labor intensive UIDC will be capital and
knowledge intensive.

The expertise for big dams was marshaled under the vision of Nehru.
Ministry of Energy which was later renamed as Ministry of Power were
political posts. The men heading these posts were subject to political
pressures. Their careers depended on the way in which, they, not only
projected the image of Bharat Sarkaar but also employed persuasive and
coercive techniques on people to agree to the idea of big dams. UIDAI
will be ruled by a man who seems to have sold his soul to his whim-
the vision of his India. He bears not responsibility to the people of
India. He is under no obligation whatsoever to LISTEN to what people
think. He mandate is clear. Think. Persuade. Design. Implement. He is
trained to achieve objectives. He sight is blinkered by deadlines. He
is answerable to his self alone. He is the God who is obliging the
rest of us poor, illiterate Indians who cannot think about the
collective good of us all, by sacrificing a knowledge paradise which
he help create. Oh!!! how he must be longing to return to the
campus!!! To be with future leaders of India who live by the code. He
is the input/output man. There are no if/then/kintu/parantu in his
jargon. One number. One citizen. That's his aim. For whatever image
that he has managed to project in his brief public life, it appears,
as if he may just about manage, to give some numbers.

The point being Thiru Nandan Nilekani has assumed office and now it
remains to be seen whether he will be able to convert the big idea
into a big reality or not.

The question being- do we need people who will rule us just like the
Brits did in India or we need people who can govern us just like the
Brits do in England?

This is the choice we have to make now.

With warm regards

Taha


Nilekani takes over as chief of identity project Thursday

http://blog.taragana.com/n/nilekani-takes-over-as-chief-of-identity-project-thursday-117223/

 Ians
July 22nd, 2009

NEW DELHI - Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan Mohan Nilekani
formally takes over as the chairperson of the newly formed Unique
Identity Authority at Yojana Bhavan, the headquarters of the Planning
Commission, here Thursday.

Nilekani, 54, will enjoy the rank of a cabinet minister.

The authority will oversee the government’s ambitious project to
assign unique identity numbers and issue a card to each of India’s
1.17 billion citizens that will serve as a permanent identifier from
birth to death.

Its main purpose is to obviate the need for multiple documentary proof
of identity for any of the government services, or for private needs
like opening bank accounts.

It is also expected to enhance national security by helping to
identify illegal aliens.