[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-118

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Jeebesh
 
Do understand your interest in tracking "media" and in this case IE on MNIC.
 
My comment on 'disquiet' was not Jeebesh-specific but generalised for all who simply criticise but do not provide credible alternatives or correctives. That would include me.
 
Expressing 'disquiet' in the case of MNIC might serve some useful purpose in creating awareness of the various 'dangers' and 'threats' that would come into play if MNIC is introduced unchecked. But, simply  expressing such 'disquiet' and repeatedly so will only create a paranoia about the MNIC.
 
Whether it is from IE or any other voice(s) of concern, the 'disquiet' needs to be translated into steps put into practice to stem introduction of MNIC or ensure independent oversight of it's architecture.
 
The 'disquiet' might seize the discomfort of some who enquire into the MNIC but those 'some' will be all too 'few' amongst the 'very many more' who would not be bothered about the 'dangers' and 'threats' from MNIC.
 
If such an 'lack-of-interest' evaluation is a fair deduction, only the "Legal" route could provide  productive-attention, intervention and correction.   
 
Will the MNIC work? It might not work for 'all' and not work 'all the time' but if it fulfills a substantive percentage of the intended application, it would be deemed as having 'worked'. Whatever be the intended usage.
 
Kshmendra
 

--- On Sat, 5/30/09, Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net> wrote:


From: Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-118
To: "Sarai Reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009, 4:03 PM


It is not my disquiet. I am sure MNIC will not work. It will only  
create confusion and threats. And then will become another document  
among many with some level of magic and violence associated with it.

The disquiet is something we will see growing around us among the  
people who initially would have lauded it as a great project for a  
great nation!. Indian Express is the biggest supporter of State's new  
found technological fantasies. Yet it can see the coming danger. I am  
interested in how they articulate this disquiet and what ways they  
think will deal with it. Indian Express can clearly see how thin the  
line is towards a "police state". I would like to follow how it  
reports on MNIC and what ways it sees it's unfolding.

best
jeebesh



On 30-May-09, at 3:40 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote:

> Dear Jeebesh
>
> Sometimes I feel many of us thrive on 'disquiet'.
>
> - either the MNIC will be "illegal" or contravene some essences of  
> COI guaranteed to citizens ..... in which case any further work on  
> it should should to be pre-empted through "legal" challenges
>
> - or the MNIC will not be "illegal" but there are reservations on  
> the extent to which it will incorporate 'information' which is  
> suspect in it's usefulness or will not further the benign uses of  
> MNIC ... in that case the 'legal' challenge should focus on  
> rerstricting the ambit of 'information' incorporated in the MNIC
>
> - another concern over the MNIC would be the collation of  
> information generated by "user transactions"  and such collated  
> information being susceptible to be abused .... in which case  
> suyitable "walls" will have to be incorporated in such flow and  
> collation of information and access to it or it's distribution.
>
> "Disquiet" will serve no useful purpose. The concerns over MNIC  
> should be pro-actively addressed through Legal Challenges including  
> pre-emptive ones.
>
> """""""MNICs should not become compulsory until there is an  
> established judicial overview to ensure that the privacy rights of  
> India’s citizens are not unlawfully violated. It is important that  
> India confront and manage these risks and consider all alternatives  
> before implementing the MNIC programme nationwide. """""""""
> http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF169.htm
>
> "Judicial Overview" will also not be enough if it only concludes  
> agreement with the concerns over MNIC. It will have to extend itself  
> into "intervention" of a kind that will "oversee" the design and  
> architecture of the MNIC software and will not simply accept "self- 
> certification". This could be done only by a non-governmental  
> regulatory body comprised of IT professionals.
>
> Kshmendra
>
>
>
> --- On Sat, 5/30/09, Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net> wrote:
>
> From: Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on  
> Multipurpose National Identity Cards-118
> To: "Sarai Reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009, 3:06 PM
>
>
> On 29-May-09, at 6:03 PM, Taha Mehmood wrote:
>
> > That its security value will overshadow the MNIC’s more benign use
> > leads to another worry — the possible misuse by an overbearing
> > security apparatus. It is one thing for a national identity card to
> > help prevent terror attacks, quite another for permanent check  
> points
> > to insist that crossers produce ID cards as a matter of routine.  
> There
> > is a fine line between a well-policed state and, well, a police  
> state.
>
> The last line of this editorial from Indian Express confirms the
> general disquiet that MNIC will produce as it becomes more and more a
> reality.
>
> best
> jeebesh
>
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