In a classic case of shooting the messenger, the deputy director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has filed an FIR against the publication and the reporter who broke the story about the Aadhaar database being compromised for as little as Rs. 500. If anything, the UIDAI has the reporter to thank for exposing the chinks in Aadhaar's armour. Filing an FIR against an investigative journalist is tantamount to shooting the messenger. Flinging such allegations on upright citizens doing their job will do little good and betrays the government’s dictatorial mindset.
It is no secret that the Aadhaar database is extremely prone to leaks. There are various problems with Aadhaar that the government and the agency have to own up to. Multiple reports have come up in the past year confirming that the Centre has failed to adequately protect the privacy of its citizens. Readers of this column will recall that we have written extensively about the various ways in which govt agencies have been caught napping. In this backdrop, shooting the messenger confirms the govt’s apathy towards the citizens. If the government truly cared, this exposé would have sent shock-waves across the govt agencies. They should have been tripping over themselves trying to correct their mistakes to prevent further breaches. Further, if UIDAI cared even a little about its public image, it would not have pushed for an FIR against the journalist. The FIR makes it look like UIDAI is scrambling to save face. It is almost as if it has a lot to hide. Such kind of behaviour decreases the confidence people have in the government. When people feel that their voices will be muzzled by the govt and not be heard, that is when a country begins its descent towards authoritarianism, away from a vibrant democracy. As a democratic govt, it is the Centre’s duty to take into account what its citizens are saying. When they voice their concerns, they must be heard.
The Congress envisioned Aadhaar as a tool to prevent leakages in the welfare schemes, to improve their reach. However, under the BJP government, Aadhaar has metamorphosed into a giant surveillance monster. It is even being used to deny benefits to the poor. This has even lead to fatalities in the past. Under the Modi government, this distortion of the idea of Aadhar is deeply saddening.