Opinion REligion ID

The editorial in the latest issue of RSS mouthpiece Organiser,titled “Not so Unique Identity Card,” says: “A national citizens’ register or the Unique Identity (UID) Card is a long-standing demand. This was seen as not only necessary but a near-sure way of weeding out the infiltrators from the eastern and western borders of India. Hence,it is with trepidation and suspicion that one views the recent announcement of the committee handling the project that the card will not bear personal details like religion and place of birth. When Nandan Nilekani was appointed Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),it was welcomed by all. It was hoped that the UID would be a professional job done,ensuring that it would not suffer the routine red tape delays and haphazard decisions. But reports say that the Demographic Data Standards and Verification Procedure Committee headed by N. Vittal in its report said that personal details like region and religion should not be mentioned in the UID as they were ‘liable’ to be used for profiling and targeting. Ironically it is lack of such basic info in the UID that can lead to its misuse and abuse.”

The RSS newspaper goes on to add: “If the place of birth (district and state) is not mentioned in the report,citizens from our eastern neighbour Bangladesh,who are one of the biggest sources of illegal immigration can easily pass off as people from any of the border states. Same would be the case with Kashmir. The Vittal committee report has mentioned some technical reason for keeping the data on region and religion out of the UID. It is for the technology experts to overcome this technical problem,if any… Under the UPA government’ every Indian’s identity is crucially related to his or her religion,because each of its policy is communal,targeted against the large majority community and intended to drive a wedge between and within castes. In a scenario like this,UID,which was trumpeted as a national register that would help identify and deport the illegal immigrants would serve the purpose poorly.”

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A news-item titled “Eschew western ideas of consumerism and exploitation of nature — Mohan Bhagwat” in the latest issue of the RSS journal says: “Bhagwat said (addressing a gathering of swayamsevaks) everyone should have equal rights on the country’s water,land,forest and animals (jal,jamin,jungle and janwar). He said the society should not be divided on the lines of caste and religion and everyone in India should have equal status. If any reservations are to be made,it should be made on the lines of people’s economic condition.”

The news item adds: “On the 113th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,Bhagwat reminded that it is not true that freedom of our country came only through non-violent movements. Netaji’s struggle for Independence in his own way also made it possible. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did want not only a change in power but he also symbolised a sense of patriotism and self-devotion for the nation. Bhagwat had many points to refer: from radical humanism of M.N. Roy to plight of Hindu Pundits of Kashmir valley… We imitate the Russia,USA or China model for our development but never look at the understandings of development that Hindutva teaches us.”

Compiled by Suman K. Jha