[Reader-list] Price of documenting Individual identity in India-100 rupees

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Bipin,

Thank you for your mail. I totally agree with your view that there
many advantages of technology. I certainly believe that technology
must be exploited the most to help the underprivileged people of our
country. In this regard the use of UID as a technology must be given
due consideration.

Central to the imagination of UID is the notion of -identity-. I find
this notion fuzzy. It is fuzzy because it is not clear. It is not
clear because till now although a lot of people have tried to define
identity, unfortunately no one has been able to come to a clear
conclusion. A conclusion which would withstand any test of proof. A
conclusion which could be applied universally.

Can you please define what in your learned view an -identity- means?
Or for that matter why do you think that the manner in which UIDAI is
defining identity is foolproof? By asking people to give information
on twelve counts is the UID not creating an imperfect archive of
impressions? How can a resultant memory which is formed of an
imperfect archive of impressions be correct? Would not lead the State
to display signs of forgetfulness?

Then what about the view of many other people who view that identity
of an individual accounts for much more and then there are many people
still more who view that identity of a human being is always in a
state of flux.

If by propagating this whole UID exercise the functionaries Government
of India wants us to believe that after the allotment of a number X,
A-for all times to come would be-A, then please tell me whether such a
logic is correct? Do people not change over time? If they do then how
come they can be represented by the same number? Were you the same
Bipin who was just a day old, to a young boy who was six years old to
an adult? Did you not go through a change in your self identity? Do
you think a number is correct signification of who you are?

Warm regards

Taha