Photo courtesy- G . N Mohan, Bangalore
P Sainath‘s remarks at the public meeting organised recently by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis:
(He says, at the end of 45 minutes, that he hasn’t yet touched upon a whole bunch of security issues, naming some of the more well-known civil/violent agitations, and then goes on) Oh yeah, I think that we are also involved in a number of other active processes that undermine [your] our insecurity, including the UID. OK. By the way, that outsourced biometric work. You can buy that data on the streets of Mumbai. It’s already made its way there. What sort of national security will you have when your biometric data is up for grabs all around the planet? You outsourced it to subcontractors who have subcontracted it to further people. It’s now available on the streets of Mumbai, biometric data.
Another thing let me tell you about this stupid, stupid idea. Anywhere in the world, anywhere in the world, there is no-one who has made a success of the UID type of system. The UK started this kind of national ID system, abandoned it in four months. Australia, it collapsed at the discussion stage. No other country has made a success of it, one, and no-one claims that it is is technologically infallible, and three, very importantly, in any society, there is 5 % to 7 % of the population that does not have any fingerprints. In India, that is 15% +, because of agricultural labour: they do not have fingerprints. OK? The washerwomen, they do not have fingerprints. A lot of professions in India: and those are the very people who will get de-accessed from your public distribution system, using the UID. The very people who need your public distribution system, the very people who need your social sector benefits, these are the very people who will be excluded from it, because they don’t have fingerprints. You are asking for big, big trouble, with this project.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BoRLwoEe18&feature=youtu.be]
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September 7, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Dear Mr. Sainath,
Since I do not know your profile, it is good that I would not be disturbed about you being a ‘great’ activist. I think criticizing something which is useful and has many usage in few words in a seminar where the time is always short is most inappropriate.
It would be nice if you write a forceful long thesis buttressing all your claims with some live research.
I would mention only couple of points. The data available on mumbai’s streets is useless as it is encrypted by a safe digital key and that key is only with the registrar and UID authority. I challange you to get me data of 100 people in readable format bought from Mumbai, I will pay you INR 10,000.
Second it was not a success in UK or Australia but it is a success in US and it took many years in US to build such a database. It can be a success here also.
15% people not having fingerprints, is this a problem no, BECAUSE UID is taking IRIS scan to take care of this and for other reasons as well.
Please be balanced and do not earn bread with butter just by criticizing. You have been imparted good education and oratory skills, PLEASE DO NOT MISUSE and do some hard work for a living.
Thanks
Anuj Agarwal
[email protected]
9810347977
September 7, 2012 at 4:47 pm
France,Germany and Italy also success….xxx
September 8, 2012 at 9:59 am
dear kracktivist
no problem in carrying p sainath’s photograph which i took way back in bangalore. but credit line would have made e happy
-G N Mohan
September 8, 2012 at 11:03 am
Definitely, due apologies, credit will be given , i did not find the name in the site where i found it. once again i apologies and thank you for pointing it 🙂
September 8, 2012 at 1:52 pm
thanks. i believe in no copyright system. i am follower of ur site. its good. keep it up.
September 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm
🙂 thankuzz
September 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm
DR SAINATH did a great survey and his point on the data available on Mumbai roads is quite apparent and CORRECT. why not it possible in these IT savy days ?? the cell net operators are selling the data of their subscribers in one way or other to everybody on payment. even the PSU banks are leaking out the details of the customers for obvious reasons. WAY BACK IN 2005/2006, THE GOVT OF INDIAN LAUNCHED “NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER = NSSN’ TO THE EMPLOYEES/CONTRACT WORKERS AND GOVT HAD WASTED HUNDREDS OF CRORES OF RUPEES TOWARDS TAKING PHOTOS ETC. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DATA COLLECTED AT THAT TIME ?? THE DATA WITH PHOTOS ARE NOW A MYTH. THE VERY PURPOSE OF NSSN HAD LOST.
SIMILARLY, WHY NOT NOW. THE VERY PURPOSE OF THE MUCH CRIED UID NOW
IS ONLY TO PATRONISE SOME BIG WIGS FOR THEIR PERSONAL GAINS.
DR SAINATH HAS RIGHTLY REMARKED ABOUT THE SYSTEM. HOW IT WORKS
KUDOS TO DR SAINATH
September 15, 2012 at 11:19 am
I requested Mr. Sainath to procure some data for a payment and I am willing to pay. Making baseless allegations and comparing UID with everything else is not justified. Those speaking in public domain should have some responcibilities.