Aadhaar

National College

PAN

bank accounts

mobile numbers

social welfare schemes

TISS

Activists allege many missed the public hearing ongrievances after last-minute venue change.A public hearing on gripes against Aadhaar that was scheduled to be held atin Bandra on Saturday had to be shifted to another location at the last minute after the local police allegedly pressurised the college against hosting the event.The public hearing was being organised to address and discuss the complications caused by the implementation and linking of Aadhaar – the 12-digit unique identification number – to various other identifiers like, and“We have been opposing Aadhaar since the beginning. The programme was scheduled for Saturday, and the venue was fixed too. But at the last moment, on Friday evening, the Bandra police visited the principle of National College and forced him to stop the programme. We had to change the venue and many people could not attend the hearing,” an organiser Kamayani Mahabal told Mirror. Mahabal is also petitioned in Bombay High Court against the linking of Aadhaar withAcclaimed playwright Ramu Ramanathan, who was also part of the programme, condemned the police interference. “It’s surprising that the police asked the college principal not to hold the programme. No permission is needed for the indoor programmes,” he said.The college, however, refuted the allegation that it bowed to police pressure. Principal Dinesh Punjwani said, “The venue wasn’t booked formally by the organisers. Our former principal had called and verbally booked the hall. Neither did they pay for the venue.”DCP Anil Kumbhare, too, denied the charge and refused comment. Senior Police Inspector of Bandra did not respond to calls and text messages.Meanwhile, a preeminent panel comprising retired Justice Suresh Hosbet, senior journalist Sucheta Dalal,professor Ram Kumar, and senior social activist Bapu Malcolm addressed a smaller-than-expected gathering at a Peasant and Workers Party (PWP) office in Mahim.Activists pointed out that the poor were being deprived of government schemes in absence of Aadhaar cards. Linking of Aadhaar to mobile numbers was criticised as tribals and marginalised communities did not use mobile phones.“The biometric does not work for people doing manual labour,” said Dalal adding that a relief from the Supreme Court was their only hope. Professor Kumar questioned the security of the data. “Aadhaar has only benefited big businessmen who supplied the fingerprint machines, iris scanners. Stealing of data is yet another looming threat.”