“Aadhaar Propoganda – The power of Aadhaar as a tool of mass surveillance is all the more worrying as the Indian government has already shown an ominous propensity to stifle dissent. Many people and institutions are now anxious not to get on the wrong side of the government. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are afraid that their registration might be cancelled if they antagonize the authorities. Vice-chancellors and principals are unable to stand up for their students’ rights to hold public meetings on sensitive issues. Newspapers treat government with kid gloves, especially on security matters. Investigative agencies target or spare opposition leaders at the government’s bidding. Nationalism is confused with obedience to the state. With Aadhaar immensely reinforcing the government’s power to reward loyalty and marginalise dissenters, the embers of democracy are likely to be further smothered.” An excerpt form an essay by Jean Derez
Why I picked this Book?
Aadhar has been all over the places since it was made mandatory to avail certain facilities or benefits from the government. It has found its strong supports as well as critique and at times it is confusing for the common person to know and understand what is correct, especially in the wake of extreme arguments and counter arguments. There was too much of information but nothing at one place, this book was looking like it has all the answers at one place, so I picked it up for a read.
The Book
Dissent on Aadhaar- Big Data Meets Big Brother is a collection of essays on the subject covering different perspective of Aadhaar. Its impact on the government welfare programmes, how it deals with the privacy issues, the threat of surveillance, how our data is up for sale to the corporate, how it is no more a welfare thing but has become a tool for profit making. There are many such essays which tries to unravel what Aadhar actually is and tries to break it down for the common man.
Reetika Khera brings together essays covering various aspects of Aadhaar. These essays are written by economists, lawyers, technologists, journalists and civil liberties campaigners, which gives the reader to look at Aadhaar from economic, legal, privacy and many other different perspectives. The book tries to unravel the the complexity of Aadhaar for the common man.
Through the different essays you will know in detail about the working of Aadhaar, the loopholes in it, the possibility of it being misused by state and many more such thing. A very common argument for Aadhaar is that it is helping poor and bringing them under the welfare schemes of government through Aadhaar enrollment. After reading the book you will know this is completely a bogus statement on the contrary Aadhaar has acted as an exclusion tool, excluding few people out of the government benefit schemes.
In one of her essays Reetika says:
” Available evidence does not substantiate any significant gains from Aadhaar-integration in welfae schemes. On the contrary, it has inflicted considerable pain. Apart from (supposedly) one-time costs of enrollment and Aadhaar seeding, people are now faced with higher transaction costs on a monthly basis(for example, in pensions and the PDS) and in a significant minority of cases, also faces exclusion and denial. Even when it works people suffer from considerable indignities.”
The use of Aadhaar is an admission of “governance” failure. The government had failed to hold to account the minority who indulge in corrupt practices. Instead, ny deploying untested and fragile technology, the victims of corruption are paying the price.”
Like this there are essays which throws light on various aspects of Aadhaar. A great collection of essays to undertand the Aadhaar better.
About The Author
Reetika Khera is an Indian economist and social scientist.She is Associate Professor (Economics and Public Systems group) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad).
Our Verdict
A must read to understand Aadhaar and various aspects of it. To understand the difference between the government’s stand and how critiques see it.