Months of protests against Aadhaar in Karnataka
In an ongoing case in the Supreme Court, the central government has argued for Aadhaar, a biometric-linked identity number for residents, as necessary for social welfare. On the ground, hundreds of rural and urban poor are protesting in Karnataka since many months against Aadhaar being made mandatory in social schemes.
At recent protests organised by Right to Food Campaign(RFC), Karnataka, several families shared their experience. They described how they have been deprived of ration food grains and other legal entitlements due to a multitude of problems in Aadhaar systems: They have enrolled and not received aadhaar details even after waiting for years, or have not been able to link it with other government systems. In some cases, even after linkage, Aadhaar fingerprint-reading machines at ration shops often fail to recognise the worn-down fingerprints of labourers, and the elderly. They questioned why was the government forcing the biometrics ID on them, when on paper, it is a “voluntary” ID.
They also spoke of issues of network connectivity, electricity failures, etc. that repeat in the absence of adequate infrastructure even in a city like Bengaluru. These issues are excluding thousands of families in Karnataka from life critical and developmental services such as old age, widow and disability pensions under National Social Assistance Programme, school admissions for their children, scholarships, and even medical treatment.
Right to Food Campaign, Karnataka spokesperson Neeliah said: “Aadhaar has become a tool in the hands of the state to exclude people from accessing even basic entitlements and services,” he said. “Despite repeated court orders, Aadhaar has been linked to every aspect of people’s lives from school admissions, scholarships, insurance policies, to open Bank Account, Provident Fund, LPG cooking gas, to even assistance for Tuberculosis, and HIV drugs, disaster relief, and death certificates.”
Challenge in Karnataka High Court
In 2016, soon after the Aadhaar Act was passed by Parliament as a Money Bill, Sukanya, a resident of Channapattna who holds a valid ration card filed a Writ Petition in the Karnataka High Court protesting against the mandatory use of Aadhaar for disbursal of Public Distribution System rations. On February 10, 2017, the High Court ruled in her favour. The court directed the state government that that she be given rations to which she is entitled without production of Aadhaar card.
The High Court order had followed at least six previous orders by the Supreme Court that Aadhaar can only be used as optional in the Public Distribution System.
But despite these orders by the Karnataka High Court, State of Karnataka is even now denying Sukanya food grains which are her legal entitlements under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
This is happening even while the UIDAI CEO, Dr Pandey, has publicly stated(Aug 10th, 2017) that “Denial of government benefits because of lack of Aadhaar or problems in its authentication is violation of norms and the violators should be punished.”
Pandey has casually made these claims, but not issued any notifications or orders ensuring the government agencies do not deny essential services to those not interested it or not able to show an Aadhaar, nor has it punished any agency using Aadhaar as a mandatory ID.
In a letter to the CEO, activists and scholars have also demanded that information on Aadhaar authentication failure rates be put in public domain, which the agency is yet to do.
Details of the protests
1. Day of Action, 30th June 2017
In a large scale protest across 15 districts of Karnataka on June 30, large groups of citizens protested against Aadhaar, and submitted memorandums to the District Collectors in each district demanding that Aadhaar not be made mandatory for NREGA, Public Distribution System, Pensions and other govt schemes. This was led by Right to Food Campaign Karnataka, Jagruta Mahila Okkuta, Bandhu organisation, GRAKUS, Navajeevan Mahila Okkuta. Jagrut Mahila Sanghatan, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, etc. Right to Food Campaign submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka Chief Minister in Bangalore as well.
In Bangalore, the following organizations came together to protest against Aadhaar: RFC KA, Slum JanAndolana Karnataka, Milana & PUCL Karnataka. Various social activists & concerned citizens addressed the crowd.
2. KA state level campaign against Aadhaar, 18th Aug, 2017
On August 18, RFC KA launched a state level campaign demanding to “de-link” Aadhaar from all social security programmes. This signature campaign is being done in association with the New Delhi based Rethink Aadhaar, a non-partisan campaign concerned about the Unique Identification or Aadhaar project.
RFC Karnataka spokespersons said that they were deeply concerned about Aadhaar pushing people into starvation. They questioned why even new born babies are being forced into Aadhaar.
As part of the protests, concerned citizens and activists collected signatures from large number of citizens who stopped by to share their own Aadhaar exclusion stories. Student theatre group, Aarambh Productions, performed a street play enacting various exclusions that citizens are forced to suffer due to Aadhaar.
3. Museum of the Aadhaar Abused, Fossilised Citizenship, 18th Sep, 2017
On September 18, Right to Food Karnataka organised a novel protest: “Museum of the Aadhaar Abused, Fossilised Citizenship” at Town Hall, Bengaluru. Affected people from Chintamani, Belgaum, Chennapatna and Bangalore posed as museum exhibits holding plaques narrating their stories.
Detailed interviews showed the public distribution system was working fine for many of the folks, but mandatory Aadhaar linking has led to major troubles.
Ellappa, who is nearly 70 years old, from Bidi village of Khanapur taluk said he has no land of his own, and is completely dependent on ration and pensions for sustenance. Four years ago, he was informed by the officials that he needs to get an Aadhaar; he enrolled for the same, however, he did not receive it and was cut off essential services for nearly four years.
Finally four months ago he received the card, but has still not been able to link it. He says he approach the block officials, but they had turned him away. He says he is not educated and not very literate and is not sure what is the process to get any redress.
Jyothi from Buranki village of Khanapur narrated her experience of systematic exclusion for herself and her daughter. Theirs is a family of five members with three children. They had enrolled for Aadhaar 4 years ago but only 3 members got their cards in post, and she and her daughter did not receive their Aadhaar. Since then, both have been excluded from all schemes. During a drought year in the village, only NREGA was available as an option for employment, but without an Aadhaar, Jyothi was not allowed to apply for work. Her daughter cannot apply for scholarship, and both are denied rations. Both have enrolment numbers; but this is not being accepted by authorities to allow them to continue getting their legal entitlements, despite UIDAI’s claim to the contrary.
Nagalakshmi, a person living with HIV and AIDS said: “Anti Retro Viral Treatment is our life line but today need to link Aadhaar to avail this facility which has become a lifeline now!” She added: “I did not want to reveal my HIV status but Aadhaar is going against my right. I oppose Aadhaar as it intrudes into my privacy.”
What next?
A public hearing is scheduled as follows to raise more awareness on the issue:
Public hearing on Aadhaar and the denial of social security | 26th October 2017, 11. AM to 4.00 PM | The Institute of Agricultural Technologies, Bangalore
Petitions at the Supreme Court
Crores of affected people across states are sincerely hoping the Supreme Court is listening and will take these widespread exclusion stories into account, together with the real fears of privacy violations and the creation of surveillance state, in the Aadhaar hearings scheduled in November.
