[Reader-list] UID CARD Doubts

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Shashidhar,

You seem to me, like an outright apologist for UID, are you? or are
you one of those dudes who are paid to manage banter on virtual
forums. You know frankly, I am not bothered who you are. And I am
terribly sorry if that sounds offensive because I did not intend it to
be so. I am just flattered by the dexterity of your arguments  to
sideline the core issue which troubles the UID exercise. -If identity
follows a fuzzy logic, then how can one claim to define it-

And I am completely fascinated by your vision for UID and the good
that it can do. I hope you are right. I fear you may not be entirely
so.

I was particularly struck by this comment of yours-

-I do not think people have greatly different notions about identity
you ask any one for his identity he will start by giving you his name,
age, education, place of origin, family tree, lineage, linguistic
abilities, hobbies, may be some
caste and daba kuchla stuff.-

UID is reference point for services, that's fine but isn't that an
effect, in the sense that it can only act as a correct reference point
for services if and only if a correct notion of identity is defined.
What constitutes an individual identity? You tell me?


And I am glad you bought the money issue up. Because  I wonder why the
man himself, Mr. Nilekani that is, never gives any answer to the money
question? Why is he keeping mum on money?

He will give you his sexy smile if you want. I think he's got a sexy
smile. And he will give it you  but never an answer to the money
question. Never. No. He's is too smart for that. Isn't he. I wonder
why? Then I wonder maybe too much is at stake here. Maybe too many
people needs to benefit. Maybe money question will make the fuzziness
of the core argument more bizzare. Maybe it will make the hollowness
of this exercise in mapping identity more apparent.

I don't know why it is like it is but I would like to know why
Mr.Nilekani does not answer the money question. I also wonder how can
we take a man, a business man, a man driven by greed and profit, a man
who has lived his life on the idea of a -bottomline- out of his cushy
chair and make a post for him and give him a rank of cabinet minister.
I mean he would make the rest of the netas look like fools wouldn't
he.

He never had to slog it out like other politicians. He never had to
make any promises to the janta. How can anyone give him the privilege
and the power of a cabinet minister? How can no one questions this? I
mean, is it right? Is the congress party giving a message to all of
us, that from now on, we can start imagining politicians as managers
of public life rather than leaders who can think about the good of
all.

And you ask where I get my numbers from? Well thank you for asking.
Please allow me to respond. My data is based on two sources.

first is Hindu and the second one is TOI. If you remember, I have made
prior postings in this regard on the reader-list almost a year ago.

You may either refer here-
http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2009-July/021176.html

or here-
http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2009-June/020498.html

And if you have any problems even after that, then why don't you ask
the TOI and Hindu if they are telling the truth and if they aren't
then sue them for God's sake, for lying to the public, spreading this
misinformation campaign, but before you get too worked up and you may,
for you seem to be the sensitive sorts, sensitive to UIDAI at least,
let me ask you something, please tell me, if in your view 'the UID
have been promised some some 1900 crore this year' then why are all
these news reports floating on the web-

Cisco Systems wants a piece of the action from India’s multi billion
dollar Unique Identity (UID) project.
http://www.moneymint.in/business/tcs-cisco-google-yahoo-et-al-fighting-for-unique-identity-uid-project

The UID project, named "Aadhar", is estimated to cost some $2.2-$4.4
billion to implement, but will bring in an equal amount in savings
annually from the elimination of duplicate and false identities, said
Samiran Chakraborty, head of research at Standard Chartered.
http://m.economictimes.com/PDAET/articleshow/5871470.cms

and so on and so forth, do you think these people have lost a sense of
balance? Why is it that Philips NxP is opening all these factories in
India? Why are the share prices of Bartronics and of TCS and of
Mindtree and of Infosys (Mr. Nailekani's abandoned child) rallying so
much, don't you think that something fuzzy is going on here, just like
this whole identity business?

Warm regards

Taha