aadhaar

 

For all those who are being forced to get Aadhaar Card/UID, here is a sample letter you need to send to authorities enforcing Aadhaar as it is contempt of the Supreme Court Order.Please share it widely

Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)

To

Mr Selva Kumar

Subject- Government High School, Vempanoor, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari
seeking Aadhaar in violation of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s orders

Dear Mr Selva Kumar,

Thank you for your phone call and a written communication dated
January 23, 2016 regarding the demand of 12 digit Biometric Aadhar
Number by Government High School, Vempanoor, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari
seeking Aadhaar in violation of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s orders.

I learnt from your communication that Head of Government High School,
Vempanoor,  Nagercoil, Kanyakumari and Mr. V. Jeyakumar, Chief
Educational Officer, Kanyakumari district that they and the management
of the school is refusing to give salary to any staff without 12 digit
Biometric Aadhar Number.

It appears to me that the Kanyakumari District Administration, Chief
Educational Officer, Kanyakumari district and the school management
are not aware of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s attached order of 15th
October, 2015. After hearing the 12 digit biometric aadhaar number
case, Supreme Court’s Bench ruled that “We will also make it clear
that the Aadhaar card Scheme is purely voluntary and it cannot be made
mandatory till the matter is finally
decided by this Court one way or the other.” The Court has issued
repeated directions since  23rd September, 2013 till 16th October,
2015 to this effect.

On 11th August, 2015, the Hon’ble Court had directed that “Union of
India shall give wide publicity in the electronic and print media
including radio and television networks that it is not mandatory for a
citizen to obtain an Aadhaar card; The production of an Aadhaar card
will not be condition for obtaining any benefits otherwise due to a
citizen”.

It is clear that the publicity given by Union of India in the
electronic and print media including radio and television networks
escaped the attention of Kanyakumari District Administration, Chief
Educational Officer, Kanyakumari district and the school management.

In this regard Supreme Court’s order of 24th March, 2014 in the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Vs Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) Case is most categorical as it leaves no room for
ambiguity. This order dated 8th December, 2014 has been relied upon by
Central Information Commission (CIC) to give its decision in File
No.CIC/SS/A/2014/000518. Its decision is available at
http://rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/CIC_SA_A_2014_000518_M_143631.pdf

It must be recalled that ahead of the launch of 12 digit biometric
unique identity number (aadhaar) in September 2010, the attached
Statement of Concern was issued by 17 eminent citizens led by late
Supreme Court judge, Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Prof. Upendra Baxi,
noted Jurist and Justice A P Shah, current Chairman, Law Commission of
India and former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and Madras High
Court urging the government to stop this project because of
undemocratic process, absence of cost: benefit analysis, questionable
constitutionality, absence of privacy law, surveillance, profiling,
tracking and convergence. As its follow up in August, 2015, Concerned
Citizens issued the attached Public Statement against biometric
profiling.

I understand that denial of salary to the staff of the Government High
School, Vempanoor,  Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District is an act of
violation of their human rights. This incident reveals how
misunderstanding about the true character of Aadhaar is fraught with
threat to civil, political and economic rights.

I am copying this message to the District Administration, State
Government, the concerned eminent lawyers in the Hon’ble High Court
and Hon’ble Supreme Court and the concerned eminent citizens for their
record, consideration and appropriate action.

We appreciate your refusal to take 12 digit biometric unique identity
number (branded as Aadhaar) and referred to as Aadhaar card by common
people. Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) has been involved in
research and advocacy on implications of biometric surveillance and
identification technology based profiling of residents and citizens
through projects like Aadhaar and its adverse impact on the natural
inalienable rights of present and future generations since 2010. CFCL
had appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance
which had questioned the Aadhaar project and sent back the Bill which
was introduced in Parliament for making Aadhaar and Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) legal.

Kindly bring the attached orders to the attention of the concerned
officials to enable them to take remedial action in compliance with
Hon’ble Court’s orders

Warm Regards
Gopal Krishna
Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)
New Delhi

For more background information visit & read the attached documents:

  1. Decoding the Aadhaar judgment: No more seeding, not till the
    privacy issue is settled by the court
    http://indianexpress.com/article/blogs/decoding-the-aadhar-judgment-no-more-seeding-not-till-the-privacy-issue-is-settled-by-the-court/

  2. Protect the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right!
    http://www.rediff.com/news/column/protect-the-right-to-privacy-as-a-fundamental-right/20150807.htm

  3. The Statesman Series:
    http://www.thestatesman.com/news/3686-a-virtual-monster-in-the-cloud.html

  4. MoneyLife Series: www.moneylife.in/author/gopal-krishna.html

  5. UID: from inclusion to exclusion
    http://india-seminar.com/2015/672/672_reetika_khera.htm

  6. Article in BENGALI TIMES OF INDIA (ei samay)
    http://www.epaper.eisamay.com/Details.aspx?id=16879&boxid=13583456

  7. The Big Picture – Confusion over NPR and Aadhaar Rajya Sabha TV
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpe37lkGDkQ

  8. Aadhaar is Dangerous
    <http://goog_1273736701>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9wZLpPkxm0

  9. Repository of aadhaar related articles: aadhararticles.blogspot.com
    compiled by Ram Krishnaswamy

  10. NATGRID, UIDAI & NPR Emerging As India’s NSA
    http://www.countercurrents.org/krishna271213.htm