As members of various campaigns working with vulnerable groups, we were hoping and expecting that the Supreme Court would decisively prohibit the mandatory use of Aadhaar for social benefits. A large body of evidence, provided to the court, shows that the mandatory use of Aadhaar and biometrics for this purpose is leading to large-scale exclusion, new forms of corruption, and extra delays and hardship for people in accessing their entitlements.
We are therefore extremely disappointed that the court has upheld the constitutionality of section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, which allows the state to make the use of Aadhaar and biometric authentication mandatory for citizens to receive social benefits.
We see the mandatory use of Aadhaar as an example of how the poor are unable to have their voice heard in the policy framework. This imposition has led to extreme distress and even death in many cases. The total numbers of people negatively affected by the mandatory use of Aadhaar runs into the hundreds of thousands and it is therefore not a small issue either in intensity or in numbers. Aadhaar has also led to many problems in the linking of bank accounts and people’s entitlements going into the wrong accounts.
We come together to let it be known that we intend to make Aadhaar an electoral issue. We intend to ask people on the ground who have been the victims of this huge experiment to make it clear during the elections that they will target parties who have thrust the mandatory use of Aadhaar upon them.
We intend to go to all political parties with a single agenda on Aadhaar, demanding that the Aadhaar Act be amended so that the mandatory or compulsory use of Aadhaar is clearly prohibited.
We announce today a collective campaign, with a demand that all political parties make a categorical committment to amend the Aadhaar Act so that there is no mandatory use of biometric authentication or Aadhaar for social benefits. We strongly believe that people should be allowed multiple forms of identity and authentication in order to be able to access their benefits. We also believe that the best possible way of fighting corruption is through decentralized, open, transparent systems that ensure transparency and accountability of the schemes and implementing agencies to local communities and the people.
As has been repeatedly shown, the figures of “savings” due to Aadhaar presented by the government stand no scrutiny. If this system has really stopped “billions of dollars in corruption” as is being claimed, many criminal cases should have been filed, fraudsters should have been prosecuted, and recoveries made. Instead, undistributed entitlements due to exclusion are being passed off as “savings”. We demand accountability and compensation for those who have been excluded due to Aadhaar,including those who have been denied their wages, food or pensions, and had to run around to be able to access their basic entitlements.
While we are also very concerned about issues of commercial exploitation of data and surveillance due to Aadhaar,the exclusion problems caused by the mandatory use of Aadhaar amount to an emergency. That is why we call upon people to come together to pressurize all parties to amend the Aadhaar Act immediately, so that the mandatory use of Aadhaar for accessing basic entitlements is completely prohibited.
Endorsed by:
- Kavita Srivastava – Convener, Right to Food Campaign, PUCL
- Dipa Sinha – Convener Right to Food Campaign, Ambedkar University of Delhi
- Kamayani Keki – Association for India’s Development
- R. Baidya – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Aabida Khatoon – Advocate, New Delhi
- Abha Bhaiya – Jagori
- Abidali Patel – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Aditya Srivastava – Right to Food Campaign
- Adsa Fatima – Concerned Citizen, India
- Afsar Jafri – Focus on the Global South
- Akhay Mukherjee – Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee
- All India Democratic Women’s Association
- Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture
- Alphanosa Kumari – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata, Right to Food Campaign West Bengal
- Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
- Alwyn D’Souza – Head, Human Rights and Training Unit, Indian Social Institure – Bangalore
- Amit Dasgupta – CPIML
- Ambarish Rai – Right to Education Forum
- Amit Kumar – National Alliance of People’s Movement
- Amita Buch – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Amitranjan Basu -Concerned Citizen, India
- Amreen Murad – Concerned Citizen, India
- Amrita Jain – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Amrita Johri – Satark Nagrik Sangathan, NCPRI and Right to Food Campaign
- Anand Mazgaonkar – Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti
- Anees George – Kerala State Garhika Thozilali Union
- Anil Chamadia – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Anjali Acharya – Right to Food Campaign, Madhya Pradesh
- Anjali Bapat – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Anjali Bhardwaj – Satark Nagrik Sangathan, NCPRI and Right to Food Campaign
- Ankur Sarin – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan – (ASAA), Gujarat
- Annie Raja – National Federation of Indian Women
- Anuja Shah – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Anukriti Dixit – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Anumeha Yadav – Concerned Citizen, India
- Anup Kumar Srivastava – Social Activist and Legal Aid Counsel, Delhi
- Anupama Potluri – Concerned Citizen, India
- Anuradha Talwar – Paschim Bnaga Khet Mazdoor Samiti, Right to Food Campaign
- Archana Sardar – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Aruna Burte – Concerned Citizen, India
- Aruna Roy – Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
- Arundhati Dhuru – National Alliance of People’s Movements, Right to Food Campaign, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha
- Arundhati V – Member, Federation of Theatre of the Oppressed
- Ashish Kothari – Kalpavriksh
- Ashok Choudhary – All India of Forest Working People
- Astabala Maity – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Aysha – Right to Food Campaign, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha
- Babu Mathew, NLSIU
- Babulal Naga – Vividha Feature, Jaipur
- Bela Adak – Pasudschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Bharat Chintan – Concerned Citizen, India
- Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
- Bidyut Mohanty – Right to Food Campaign, Odisha
- Biswanath Soren – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata
- Bittu Karthik – Karnataka Janashakti
- Brinelle D’souza – Concerned Citizen, India
- Chakradhar – Libtech, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
- Chandrasekhar Bhattacharya – Journalist
- Chandrasmita Chowdhury – AIPWA
- Charul Bharwada – Loknaad
- Chhaya Datar – Concerned Citizen, India
- Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) Chennai
- D Thankappan – Kamani Employees Union
- Debmalya Nandi – Concerned Citizen
- Deepa Sonplal – Unnati
- Deepak Yatri – Cultural Artist and concerned citizen, New Delhi
- Dev Desai – ANHAD
- Devabrat Sharma – Asom Majoori Shramik Union
- Dipankar Bhattacharya – General Secretary, CPIML
- Amitabha Basu – New Delhi
- Antima – New Delhi
- Anupam Saraph – Concerned Citizen
- Indu Prakash Singh – Facilitator at CityMakers Mission International, President, Forum Against Corruption & Threats (FACT)
- Neetu Sharma – Centre for the Child and the Law, National Law School of India University, Bangalore
- Soma KP – Concerned Citizen, India
- Sylvia Karpagam – Public Health Doctor and Researcher, Bangalore, Right to Food Campaign
- Vandana Prasad – Concerned Citizen
- V.N.Sharma – Concerned Citizen, India
- Dunu Roy – Hazards Centre
- Dyuti – Concerned Citizen, India
- Elizabeth – Nari Shakti Manch
- Elizabeth Sangita Paul – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata
- Fahimuddin – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Jothi SJ – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata, Right to Food Campaign
- Pascal xalxo – HLDRC, West Bengal
- Garment and Fashion Workers Union – NTUI
- Gautam Mody – New Trade Union Initiative
- Ghulam Nabi Azad – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Girish Ashtekar – Siemens Workers Union
- Goldy M George – Concerned Citizen, India
- Gopal Barman – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Hardeep Singh – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Himshi Singh – National Alliance of People’s Movements
- Imrana Qadeer – CSD
- Jacintha Kumarswamy – Concerned Citizen, India
- Jaisree Kumar – Concerned Citizen, Kerala
- Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan – Bihar
- Janchetna Sansthan
- Janvi Andharia – Concerned Citizen, Noida
- Javed – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Jayati Ghosh – Concerned Citizen, India
- Jean Dreze – Activist
- Jeevika Shiv – Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, Gujarat
- Jharna Pathak – Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group, Gujarat
- Joykumar Wahengbam – Concerned Citizen, India
- Joynur Bibi – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Joyraj Bhattacharya – Theatre Activist
- Kabi Cuddy Facilitator, CityMakers Mission International President, Forum Against Corruption & Threats (FACT) Devatwa
- Kakali Bhattacharya – SWAYAM
- Kamayani Bali Mahabal – Feminist and Human Righst Activist
- Kanai Halder – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Karuna DW – Concerned Citizen, India
- Karuna Sengupta – PBMS
- Kavita Gupta – Concerned Citizen, India
- Kavita Krishnan – AIPWA
- Khadija Khatun – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Khairun Nisha – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Khusilal Sardar – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Kinnari Pandya – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Kiran Shaheen – Concerned Citizen, India
- Koninika Ray – National Federation of Indian Women
- Krishna Bansal – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Kumar Rana – Pratichi Trust
- Lakshmi Krishnamurty – Concerned Citizen, India
- Lata Singh – Concerned Citizen, India
- Linda Chhakchhuak – Concerned Citizen, India
- M Sreekumar – Kerala State and Cleaning Destination Workers Union
- M Subbu – Tamil Manila Kattida Thozhilalargal Sangam
- Sharif Desai – Mahar Credit & Supply Co. Op. Society Ltd.
- Madhavi Yennapu – Concerned Citizen, India
- MADHU BHUSHAN – Concerned Citizen, India
- Madhuresh – National Convener, National Alliance of People’s Movements
- MAGP GUJARAT Pankti Jog
- Maherunnisa Desai – AMWA
- Malay Tiwari – CPIML
- Mamta Singh – Humsafar, Uttar Pradesh, Right to Food Campaign
- Manas Das – Asom Majoori Shramik Union
- Manasi Pingle – Concerned Citizen, India
- Manjula Pradeep – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Manoj Kumar Singh – Journalist, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Manshi Asher – Concerned Citizen, India
- Mariam Dhawale – General Secretary, AIDWA
- Mayuri – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan – Rajasthan
- Meena – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Meera Sanghamitra – Concerned Citizen, India
- Mehnaz – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Milan Dutta – Journalist
- Mini Mathew – Concerned Citizen, India
- Mira Shiva – Concerned Citizen, India
- Mitraranjan – Right to Education Forum
- Mohammad Shafi Khan – Jammu & Kashmir Trade Union Centre
- Mohan Lal – KSEB Karar Thozilali Federation
- Mohini – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Molina Pramanik – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Mridula Bajaj – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Mudita Vidrohi – Gujarat Lok Samiti
- N Vasudvan – Blue Star Workers Union
- Nabanita Mukherjee – Sahoman
- Nachiket Udupa – Concerned Citizen, India
- Nadeem – All India People’s Forum
- Namita Halder – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Namita Mandal – TUCC
- National Alliance of People’s Movements
- National Alliance for Maternal Health and Human Rights
- National Campaign for Protection of Right to Information
- National Federation of Indian Women
- Neeta Hardikar – Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, Gujarat
- Neha Shah – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Nikhil Dey – Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
- Nimmi Chauhan – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Nirjhari Sinha – Chair, Jan Sangharsh Manch, Gujarat
- Nisha – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Nisha Biswas – Concerned Citizen, India
- Nita Mahadev – Gujarat Loksamiti
- Nityanand Jayaraman, Chennai Solidarity Group
- NREGA Sangharsh Morcha
- Om Prakash Singh – Concerned Citizen, India
- Om Prakash – Concerned Citizen, India
- Pabitra kr Mandal – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Padma Velaskar – Concerned Citizen, India
- Pallav Bhattacharya – Advocate Consultant
- Pallavi Sobti Rajpal – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Paromita Dasgupta – PBMS
- Paromita Dutta – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata
- Parveen – Concerned Citizen
- Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
- Paul Lakra – HLDRC, West Bengal
- Penn Thozhilalargal Sangam – Garment and Fashion Workers Union, Chennai
- Pension Parishad
- Pradip Pradhan – Concerned Citizen, India
- Pradip Roy – TUCC
- Prafulla Samantara – An Activist
- Pragnya Senior Research Associate Technical Support Unit ANANDI- Area Networking and Development Initiatives
- Praavita Kashyap – Rethink Aadhaar
- Prathibha Sivasubramanian – Concerned Citizen, India
- Pratibha R – Garments and Textile Workers Union
- Priyangee Guha – Concerned Citizen, India
- Priyanka Samy – People’s Budget Initiative, New Delhi
- Provita Kundu – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Punit Minz – Concerned Citizen, India
- Rabindranath chakrabarty – TUCC
- Radha Holla Bhar – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Radhika Ganesh – Ek Potli Ret Ki
- Rajalakshmi Sriram – Department of Human Development and Family Studies, M.S. University of Baroda
- Rajendran Narayanan – Azim Premji University, Bangalore
- Rajendra Singh – Concerned Citizen, Uttar Pradesh
- Rajkishore Mishra – Right to Food Campaign, Odisha
- Rama Debnath – Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee
- Ranjit Sur – APDR
- Ranu Jain – Concerned Citizen, India
- Ratnaboli Ray – Anjali Organisation
- Ravindra Patwal – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Reetika Khera – Rethink Aadhaar
- Rethink Aadhaar
- Right to Food Campaign – Bihar
- Right to Food Campaign – Chhattisgarh
- Right to Food Campaign – Karnataka
- Right to Food Campaign, Madhya Pradesh
- Rita Banerjee – 50 Million Missing
- Ritu Dewan – Concerned Citizen, India
- Rohit Prajapati, Activist, Researcher and Writer
- Roma – All India of Forest Working Peoplel
- Rosamma Thomas – Journalist
- Roseina – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan – Uttar Pradesh
- Q. Masood – Centre for Peace Studies
- Sachin Jain – Right to Food Campaign, Madhya Pradesh
- Sadhna Arya – Concerned Citizen, India
- Sagar Besra – Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union
- SAHAYOG
- Sahiyar Stree Sangathan
- Samar Bagchi – Concerned Citizen, India
- Samim Ahmed – Writer
- Samir – Right to Food Campaign, Chhattisgarh
- Sandip Singha – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Sandipan Paul – Alliance for People’s Rights
- Sangram Mandal – Sahamon
- Sarita Kumari – Sashaktnari blogspot
- Sarojini N – Concerned Citizen, India
- Savitri Ray – Alliance for People’s Right
- Sejal Dand – Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch, Gujarat, Right to Food Campaign
- Sejal Dave – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Shabnam Hashmi – Social activist
- Shakun D – Concerned Citizen, India
- Shakun Doundiyakhed – Concerned Citizen, India
- Sharada Gopal – Right to Food Campaign, Karnataka
- Sharik Laliwala – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Shashi Patwal – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Shishir Dhavle – Sarva Shramik Sangh
- Shobha R – Concerned Citizen, India
- Shreya Sen – NAZDEEK
- Shumona Goel – Concerned Citizen, India
- Shyamasree Das – PBMS
- Siraj Dutta – Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand
- Smita Pandya – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Snehal Shah – Concerned Citizen, India
- Somnath Baskey – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Sophia Khan – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Soumi Jana – Right to Food Campaign, West Bengal
- Srinivas Kodali – Concerned Citizen, India
- Stan Swami – An activist, Jharkhand
- Subhash Gurav – Sakhar Kamgar Union
- Suchitra Halder – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Sudarshana Chakraborty – Journalist
- Sudeshna Dutta – Sohoman
- Sudeshnasen Gupta – Individual Researcher, New Delhi
- Sudha Arora – Concerned Citizen, India
- Sudhansu Chakrabarty – Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee
- Sudhir Vombatkere – Concerned Citizen, India
- Sujata Chiti – Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata
- Sujata Mody – Garments and Fashion Workers Union
- Sukla Sen – Peace Activist, Mumbai
- Suman Sengupta – Sahoman
- Sumitra Mishra – Alliance for People’s Right
- Sunetra Deshpande – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Sunita Singh – Right to Food Campaign, Uttar Pradesh
- Surabhi Vaya – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Suresh – Viklang Andolan, Rajasthan
- Sushila – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Sushila – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Sushma – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Sushovan Chaudhuri – Marcom Consultant
- Swapan Halder – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Swapna – APDR
- Swapna Naiya – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Swarna Rajagopalan – The Prajnya Trust, Chennai
- Swati Narayan – Right to Food Campaign
- Tanushree Gangopadhyay – Concerned Citizen, Gujarat
- Tara Dey – PBMS
- Tarun Bharatiya, Thma U Rangli Juki (Meghalaya) – Workers power of Meghalaya
- Tarun Bhartiya – Concerned Citizen, India
- Tultul Biswas – Concerned Citizen, India
- Tushar Chakraborty – Scientist
- Ujwala Kadrekar – Concerned Citizen, India
- Ulka Mahajan – Sarvhara Jan Andolan, Maharashtra
- Uma Chandru – Concerned Citizen, India
- Uma Maane – Kshitij Organisation
- Uma –National Alliance of People’s Movements
- Umesh Babu – Concerned Citizen, New Delhi
- Uttam Gayen – Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity
- Vandana Kulkarni – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vandana Kulkarni – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vandana Mahajan – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vani Subramanian – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vijay Mandal – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vikalp (Women’s Group) – Vadodara
- Vinay Baindur – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vinay Mahajan – Loknaad
- Vinay Sreenivasa – Concerned Citizen, India
- Vinayak Pawar – Concerned Citizen, Mumbai
- vindhyala jaya – PUCL
- Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli
- Zakia Soman – Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
- Zakiya Kurrien – Alliance for People’s Rights
Steering Committee of the Right to Food Campaign:
National Networks: Kavita Srivastava and Dipa Sinha (Conveners – Steering Committee), Annie Raja and Koninika Ray (National Federation for Indian Women), Harini and Olivia (Human Right Law Network), Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Anjali Bhardwaj, (National Campaign for People’s Right)
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