Free Thinker
These days people in the town are talking about privacy and innocuous private parts like finger-prints, iris, body weights, body marks, length and size etc, while discussing the polemical issue of intrusive ‘Aadhaar’. The matter has been made so serious that it has reached the Federal Court, I mean Supreme Court. Some 9/10 Judges will examine the issue and decide whether citizens (human beings) can have privacy; if so, what are those and whether those can be protected or preserved (fundamental right or not etc., ).
In realm of nature animals have no privacy; I may be wrong, but it appears animals have no privacy. Humans are also animals. I don’t know when did humans start thinking of privacy and when did they feel shyness about their private parts. All great thinkers and scientists do agree that human beings are animals. One philosopher even said, “Man is a laughing animal”. Till today nobody objected to such claims and remarks. If we all agree that we are animals then why should we have a privacy law? In the animal world there is no privacy.
Today where is the privacy if the Russians know that the number and names of girl friends of the US President. On the other hand if the Americans know the color of the underwear of President Putin (presently wearing) what kind of privacy we are talking about. It is not a matter of joke; it is going to have far reaching consequences. Our Apex court verdict may be quoted or misquoted by other nations. Not only that the verdict will influence the very policies of the government vis-à-vis the citizens.
A hooker is serving many clients by volition; but if a gentleman takes her service forcibly it amounts to rape. As long as you are giving your personal details including your biometric data to others according to your free will there is hardly any problem; when you are compelled to give your personal details there lies the problem. That is the curtailment of personal discretion and liberty amounting to coercion.
Suppose Government/ Multinational/Private Company is keeping all your details; what is your problem as long as you are eating, drinking, enjoying, living, sleeping, running, travelling, earning , spending, speaking so on and so forth. The problem arises only when you are restrained to do all these. With Aadhaar or without Aadhaar if you want to do something extra constitutional and judicial you are free to do so. But we must be ready for the consequences.
A prominent political leader is getting treatment in the USA for a difficult disease. It is not disclosed to anyone either by the family or the party or the Hospital or the doctor treating her/him. However the entire political class in the country knows about this secret, but they remain silent. That is the beauty of liberty and privacy. Whether Aadhaar will destroy this kind of personal freedom and privacy , is the moot question.
Some people are keeping their hard earned money (from smuggling, extortion, gambling, hawala , robbery, kickbacks, bribery etc. ) in Panama or Mandalay or Chittagong or Katmandu or Bangkok without Aadhaar. Even if Aadhaar is made mandatory, these activities will still continue. We can’t change the habit and calling of a person by introducing Aadhaar. It is a very limited instrument to catch small and medium thieves and small time criminals. Those big fishes sitting outside are beyond the reach of Aadhaar.
Still I am in favor of Aadhaar because it is not a big deal for lesser mortals to surrender everything to the Almighty who is represented on earth by the Governments, Multinationals, Rich & Powerful . Frankly speaking we have no other way out. We require subsidized or free food, job cards, caste certificates, loans, medical treatment and for all these we need Aadhaar. For getting Aadhaar we need to expose our body parts a little. What is wrong with that? We never bother of a major exposure while peeing in public and potty-ing in the open.
One powerful man of the present dispensation told me that “we are not making Aadhaar compulsory, but it is required only for getting subsidized ration, for getting job cards, for getting a passport, for filing income-tax returns, for getting a driving license, for opening a bank account, for procuring bank loans, for taking the class XII exam, for getting admission in colleges, for applying for jobs, for getting ST/SC/OBC certificates, for linking with your PAN , for taking attendance of employees, for insurance purposes, and of course for booking train/flight tickets etc.; some self seeking intellectuals feel that Aadhaar will destroy their liberty and privacy , that is nonsense”. Then I meekly responded to him, “ Sir, are we suppose to quote Aadhaar for drinking water and breathing ?“. He had a broad smile and said “these are state subjects”.
Source: The Sangai Express
