Campaign Against Aadhaar

For news and updates on the on the challenge to Aadhar and information on the cases in the Supreme Court, please sign on to <https://rethinkaadhaar.in/>

There is silence in the mainstream media on the growing resistance to Aadhar in various parts of the country. But a lot is happening on the ground.

For instance, the opt-out campaign started by the  Meghalaya People's Committee on Aadhar. 

Please consider signing and mailing the attached opt-out letter to UIDAI, starting a sign-on petition or putting it on your social media pages to get it out to others who might also feel the same way. 

(Information courtesy Rev K Pyrtuh)

The Meghalaya Peoples Commiittee on Adhaar had a public meeting today at the Khasi National Dorbar, Mawkhar Shillong from 11 AM

The meeting was attended by more than a thousand people who jam packed the  hall, the verandah, compound and even the footpaths of Mawkhar Main Road outside the venue hall. (Copy of picture attached)

The meeting was chaired by Auguster Jyrwa (Ex GS KSU) and the meet began by a minute silence to condole the death of a young girl in Jharkhand who was allegedly died of starvation for want of Adhaar.

Those who spoke in the meeting are Rev. K.Pyrtuh, Rev PBM Basaiawmoit, Donald Thabah General secretary KSU and Kong P.Sohshang from west khasi hills district. Kong P.Sohshang had been facing harassment and ridicules from various quarters for her stand against the dangers of the project Adhaar.

The meeting resolved the following:

1. The people welcome the 9 Judge Bench verdict on the Right to Privacy and repose their faith in the judiciary especially the Supreme Court and pray that the pending cases and the final verdict to be pronounced soon will be in favour of the people and that  the Adhaar project be done away with and settle the issue once and for all.

2. The meeting strongly urge upon the Authorities not to confuse matter or force people to enroll into UID, but to abide by the various interim orders of the Supreme Court which had from time to time passed orders that Adhaar is not compulsory but voluntary.

3. The Meeting resolved to start an Opt-Out campaign for those who had already enrolled but who wish to withdraw their consent and with draw from the Central Data Storage which they believe that both their Bio-metric and Demographic Information are stored. The Opt-Out campaign is based on an informed opinion that the adhaar project is inherently flawed/dangerous and it is also based on the fact that now Privacy is a Fundamental Right as guaranteed in Part III of the Constitution of India so therefore the Adhaar Project infringes upon this Right and as citizens we resolved to protect our Right to Privacy by opting out of Adhaar. A sample Opt-Out Letter was drafted both in English and Khasi and distributed so that people can read, understand and decide. The Meghalaya Peoples Committee on Adhaar had fixed 30 October as a date to collect all those individual opt-out letters and send them to authorities concerned and the Committee firmly believed that this opt-out campaign will have long lasting impact on the fight against intrusion by the Power of the State on individual citizens. (Copies of sample opt-out letter attached the opt-out letter was also translated into vernacular language i.e khasi). Individuals who wish to withdraw their consent are requested to come to KSU office at Jaiaw Shillong on the 30 October 2017 and submit their opt-out letters from 11am to 3pm. 

Rev.K.Pyrtuh Rev PBM Basaiawmoit and Bah Auguster Jyrwa

  

KALYANI MENON-SEN Feminist Learning Partnerships
J-1229 Palam Vihar
Gurgaon 122017 INDIA

I ask that my demographic, biometric, authentication records and any other information about me which is with the UIDAI be deleted from the UIDAI data base. Kindly delete all the information from the UIDAI data base and communicate to me when this exercise is complete.

I did not enrol on the UIDAI data base voluntarily; i was coerced/misled into enrolling because i was warned that i would lose my rights as a citizen, and that i would be excluded from my rights and entitlements and from various services that the state is obliged to provide to me unless i enrolled on the data base. I have since been apprised of the various concerns about the data basing of people. I am aware too that the coercion has been in deliberate contempt of the orders of the Supreme Court of India.

I did not consent to have my data shared with any service provider or any other third party. If it is so recorded in the UIDAI data base, i make it clear that by this letter i withdraw any consent that you may have recorded on your data base. All transactions which have been carried out on the basis of such consent may kindly be communicated to me; and also such actions reversed, by informing the third party of the withdrawal of consent.

The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act 2016, in section 3(2), requires that every person enrolling should be informed about the use of the information, the persons with whom it may be shared and that there is a right to access information; none of this was done when i enrolled. This makes the whole exercise illegal, and against the interests of the citizenry.

Please delete all the biometric, demographic, authentication and any other data that is on the UIDAI data base, and inform me when this is done inform me of any places where my UID number has been `seeded' inform any agency where my UID number has been seeded that they are to delete the number from their data base in the meantime, be informed that i do not consent to my data being used by you or any third party, or be shared with any third party, and any consent that may be recorded as having been given by me stands withdrawn forthwith.