NC, PDP oppose proposal to create unique IDs for J&K families
While the National Conference said the administration has “messed up its priorities”, the PDP termed it as “another surveillance tactic to tighten the iron grip” on the people of the UT.
State Congress president Vikar Rasool told The Indian Express that he will first “study the proposal” and then comment on it. (Representational/File)
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Two mainstream political parties of J&K, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have opposed the proposal to create a unique alpha-numeric code for each family in Union Territory.
While the National Conference said the administration has “messed up its priorities”, the PDP termed it as “another surveillance tactic to tighten the iron grip” on the people of the UT.
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“Creating ‘a unique family ID’ for J&K residents is emblematic of the widening trust deficit, especially post-2019. Kashmiris are viewed with deep suspicion and this is another surveillance tactic to tighten the iron grip on their lives,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet.
The plan to create unique IDs was revealed at a conference on e-governance in Jammu where J-K’s Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar unveiled the ‘Digital J&K Vision Document’.
The Vision document says the unique family IDs will be used to determine the eligibility through automatic selection of the beneficiaries for receiving social benefits.
The National Conference termed the proposed plan as “unnecessary” and advised the government to focus on deliverances of existing schemes. National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said: “There are already a web of documents through which government agencies determine the eligibility for social welfare benefits and other schemes. It’s utter wastage of resources, time and money. At a time, when the government should be focused on fixing development deficit, administrative inertia and unemployment, it’s focusing on non-issues.”
State Congress president Vikar Rasool told The Indian Express that he will first “study the proposal” and then comment on it.
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CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami called the proposed creation of unique IDs as “highly authoritarian”. “This move is bound to create wedge, uncertainty and dissatisfaction,” Tarigami said.
The BJP, however, has welcomed it saying the opposition should appreciate the move and not do politics over it. “This is a move in the right direction. It will help in quick identification of the deserving families,” BJP’s media in-charge Manzoor Ahmad Bhat said.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
