Bio-Metric Aadhaar
Attendance: An attempt to enslave the workers and Indian political system
In
order to appease US President Barack Obama who is the chief
guest on the republic day, the republic is being under put under
surveillance
the universal Aadhaar coverage, aadhaar enrolment camp for MPs is
underway in Parliament from November 11, 2014. Obama's interest in aadhaar
is
quite known. Wikileaks had revealed that US agencies are closely
monitoring the
implementation of the project. Not surprisingly, President Obama visited
Aadhaar enrolment station during his last visit to India. His delegation
included
the CEO of L1 Identities Solution, then a US MNC (now a subsidiary of
French
company).
The URL on Planning Commission’s Unique Identification
Authority of India (UDAI)’s website that provided this news at the relevant URL-
The full content
of UIDAI’s contracts with two foreign companies L1 and Accenture has not been fully
disclosed under the RTI as yet. Notably, L1 was a Delaware, US-based
Corporation when the contract was signed. L-1 has since been bought over by
French corporate conglomerate, Safran Group after the Committee on Foreign
Investment in the United States (CFIUS) was convinced that there are no
unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction. L-1
Identity Solutions announced agreement to be acquired by Safran on 20 September
2010. Sagem Morpho, a unit of Safran
already had a contract with UIDAI. As to Accenture Services Pvt Ltd, it is a
"Biometric Solution Provider", a subsidiary of Dublin, Ireland based
Accenture plc, a US company. Till 1 January 2001 it was known as Andersen
Consulting. Both the contract agreements have been signed in the name of the
President of India. While L1 was a US corporation, its Indian subsidiary had a
registered office at 2, Frontline Grandeur, 14, Walton Road, Bangalore. Now
that it has become a French company, it is not clear whether its Bangalore
address is intact or not.
Protest against
the implementation of an anti-worker biometric attendance system i.e. an
attendance system by way of biometric scanning by the workers and unions is
underway in the Jhanjhra Area Management. Jharjhra is a fully mechanised mine
of Eastern Coalfileds Limited, situated in Raniganj, district Burdhwan in West
Bengal. A widespread discontent is discernable among the workers. The Khan
Mazdoor Karmachari Union (IFTU-Sarwahara) [Mine Workers Employee Union
(IFTU-Sarwahara)], has not accepted this system, being installed by the
management and has decided to struggle against the installation.
Their pamphlet dated
September 2, 2014 titled Bio-Metric
Attendance: An attempt to enslave the workers reads: Comrade workers of
Eastern Coalfields Limited, Despite severe protest by the workers and unions,
the Jhanjhra Area Management is implementing an anti-worker biometric
attendance system i.e. an attendance system by way of biometric scanning of
eyes and the whole face. Apart from this biometric attendance system, there is
also a hurried move to install CCTV inside the mines and offices and
thereafter, provide the workers GPRS-enabled caps so that the management can
keep the workers and employees under continuous strict surveillance.”
It further
states: Let’s see why it is necessary for the workers to oppose the biometric
attendance and CCTV installation.
First, via this system of attendance, the
bio-metric machine will scan our faces and eyes and keep them online on
computer/internet. This fact in itself is illegal, dangerous and worth
pondering. Why? Firstly, because the scanned photograph can be, intentionally
or unintentionally, misused by any agency (the one that will be privy or have
access to the data.). For instance, if any terrorist organization gains access
to this data, then it can be used with catastrophic repercussion. We would like
to raise the question: in such an eventuality, who will be responsible? The
situation accentuates in case of female workers and employees. It will cast
severe question mark on their integrity and respect. Keeping these things in
mind only, in a similar instance i.e. Adhaar Card (Unique Identification
System) the Supreme Court gave a verdict, in which, it categorically said that
forcibly implementing the biometric identification infringes on the fundamental
right of privacy. It is a well established covenant world over that without
permission no one, not even the Government, can keep physical identification of
a person. The constitution of India, as is well known, prohibits any
agency/management/institution, what so ever it may be, from keeping such data
as physical identification of a person under its control and access without
one’s due permission
Second Fact, we do not know, nor the Management
has informed us on the radiations emitted by the scanning machine, but, on the
other hand, the workers will have to undergo scanning of their faces and eyes
twice a day. Very Strange! Who knows what will be the impact of it on our eyes
and faces!! Whether management has undertaken concrete scientific investigation
about it, we do not know this, too. We demand to know who will be responsible
for the possible long term deadly after-effects of the Scanning Machine’s
radiation.
Third Fact Apart from the above, let’s see how
it will have impact on the extra time involved for the attendance of the
worker. Let’s assume that there are 100 workers standing in front of the
machine to punch-in their attendance, if one worker takes minimum of 30 seconds
(though in reality it may take much more), then for the last worker it will
take extra 50 minutes to punch-in his/her attendance. That means he/she will
have to leave for the work 50 minutes before the schedule. Same will be the
case for punch-out. Who will be responsible for this wastage of time and who
will compensate for this loss?
Fourth Fact the confidence of workers is
vital. In case of the machine malfunctioning or it being out of order, or if it
fails to record attendance even after saying “thank you” i.e. in case of false
recording of attendance, and hence in case of attendance dispute arising there
from, what proof will the worker have in his possession to claim that he was
present?
Fifth Fact
similarly what will happen for driller, dresser, explosive carrier and short
firer? As is evident from the design of things appearing through biometric,
pressure on them to enhance workload is bound to increase.
Sixth As is becoming as clear as day light
from the above facts, it is ludicrous as to why the management is wasting at
all a fortune as big as thousands of lakhs or crores of rupees on installing
the biometric system. It has been clarified above that there is no worth, as is
being claimed over board by the management, in installing this machine; on the
contrary, it is anti-workers, dangerous and one that will fuel unnecessary
debate and unrest. Actually the main behind the curtain intention of the ECL
managements is to have total control over the life of workers that is simply
excessive and unnecessary. The way Jhanjhra management is after this lays
weight to suspicion.
Seventh One of the arguments given by management
is that it will increase production. The motive of installing CCTV inside the
mines and offices, too, has to be seen in this light. In reality, the intention
of the management is to increase the production by way of excessively
pressurising the workers. The truth, however, is that precondition of
increasing production is that workers must have a joyful family life. It is
vital that the worker gets the necessary 8 hours of leisure, their homes are
clean and healthy, they get proper transport and there are such safety measures
as are necessary to make the mines safe for the workers so that they work
without safety related strains in their mind, and as a result, they are able to
work without any pressure or duress. But the management seldom thinks of
bringing these qualitative changes in their lives. On the contrary, the
management by all means tries to deprive the workers the fruits of gigantic
leap hitherto taken in the field of labour-productivity and always does
whatever it can to to convert the workers into an appendage of machine i.e.
aims at turning the human worker just into an animal. Moreover, they want to
control every breath of workers to increase the production. This anti-worker
stance of management is evident everywhere. The management hitherto has not
been able to even provide clean drinking water to the homes of the workers.
Electricity supply is simply pathetic and the workers quarters are such that
one cannot even use gas cylinder. The state of cleanliness of their colonies is
an open secret. Under such inhuman conditions, how can workers increase
production?
It concludes:
The experience of the movement against biometric in Jhanjhra explains that ECL
management is not ready to listen to the workers, to say the least. Perhaps
they think, however they behave and whatever they order, the workers will
follow their diktat. The management needs to be told that they should not live
in this delusion. The history of working class is witness to this fact that the
workers have always resisted the dictatorial attitude of the owners and managers
of capital. Today the workers of entire coal belt and particularly that of
Jhanjhra will have to unite against this dictatorial attitude of the
management. The most militant union of the coal belt – Khan Mazdoor Karmachari
Union (IFTU-Sarwahara) [Mine Workers Employee Union (IFTU-Sarwahara)] appeals
to all of you that if we do not agree to our being treated as and turned into
animals, then the only path left for us is that of struggle. Comrade workers!
Come and unite under one flag and commence a new struggle. We are convinced
that if all the workers of ECL unite into one entity, then we are more than
capable to forcibly bring this anti-worker obstinate, intransigent and stubborn
management to negotiation table and force it to accept a roll back of these
measures as well as all other such anti-workers measures, policies and diktats
hitherto taken.
By
Circular No. Pers-CF/BARS/2014/508 dated 11th November, 2014 G
Sujatha, AGM (Pers-CS), Durgapur Steel Plant, Steel Authority of India Limited,
have made procedure of Biometric Attendance Recording System mandatory with
insuring disciplinary actions. Hindustan Steel Workers Union, Durgapur Steel
Plant are protesting against “illegal and illegitimate capturing of
fingerprints of employees and
implementation of “Biometric Attendance Recording System” without any lawful
authority and in violation of Article-21 of the Constitution of India and other
related statutes.”
Their
letter dated November 17, 2014 to CEO of Durgapur Steel Plant reads:
Notably,
Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) and Delhi University College
Karamchari Union (DUCKU) is protesting against the installation and
implementation of Bio Metric Attendance system as well.
By
Circular No. F.1(92)RB/Div Com/HQ/2012/311-320 dated 12th November,
2014 vide Para 3 Inspector General of Registration, Department of Revenue,
Government of NCT of Delhi has made Aadhaar No. / Enrolment Slip as necessary
for registration of a document under Section 69 of Indian Registration Act. The
said circular has been issued to All Sub-Registrar Offices Guidelines No. 3
reads as follows:
“3)
MODE OF IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES
THROUGH AADHAR NUMBER:
Aadhaar Number/Enrolment Slip may be
demanded to ensure identification of the parties. In case a person has no
AADHAR Card but he is having enrolment slip, he should be permitted to avail
the services, In case a person does not possess either enrolment slip or a
Aadhaar Card/Number, he should be asked to apply for the enrolment of Aadhaar
card immediately at the Centre and be provided enrolment slip and after that he
can avail the services.”
A message titled ‘CVO
Message’ by Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Delhi Development Authority on its
website (http://dda.org.in/ddanew/cvo_
Supreme
Court in SLP (CRl) 2524/2014 Unique Identification Authority of India Vs
Central Bureau of Investigation passed an order dated March 24, 2014 reads as
follows:
“Issue Notice.
In
addition to normal mode of service, dasti service, is permitted.
Operation of the impugned order shall remain
stayed.
In
the meanwhile the present petitioner is restrained from transferring any
biometric information of any person who has been allotted the Adhaar number to
any other agency without his consent in writing.
More
so, no person shall be deprived of any service for want of Aadhaar number in
case he/she is otherwise eligible/entitled. All the authorities are directed to
modify their forms/circulars/likes so as to not compulsorily require the
Aadhaar number in order to meet the requirement of the interim order passed by
this Court forthwith.
Tag
and list the matter with main mater i.e. WP (C) No. 494/2012.”
The apex Court’s
order has made it clear that no person shall be deprived of any
service for want of Aadhaar number in case he/she is otherwise
eligible/entitled. It is abundantly clear that the biometric aadhaar number
case has become the litmus test to demonstrate whether rule of law still exists
in India or biometric surveillance companies have subverted Indian legal and
political system for good.
For Details: Gopal Krishna, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), Mb: 09818089660
+ comments + 2 comments
Hi, i am Pranali Sharma can anyone suggest me how to apply for aadhar card online.
A portal to help you find the aadhar enrolment centres all over India
ap aadhar centers list
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