UID or unique identity number for each Indian is one of the very few logical proposals to have been proposed by an Indian Government in the recent past. This is a project about assigning an unique number, to every Indian. Whether it will be a supplement or complement to the existing PAN, Voter ID, Ration Card etc., one is not very sure but the idea is definitely a step in the right direction.
There is a urgent need to instill the feeling of “Indian-ness” in the presently rampant “Indian-less” mindset of the Indians. One hears of a “ Marathi- Maanus”, a “Bengali Babu Moshay”, a Bihari , a Tamilian, or a Punjabi, but hardly does one get to hear about an Indian. We tend to identify ourselves more with the state/ region/ religion to which we belong rather than the nation which is our identity. It is the need of hour to identify this identity and associate ourselves with this identity.
Today we live in a time where it is difficult to distinguish between a illegal Bangladeshis infiltrator/migrant and a Bengali Hindu/Muslim or a Assomese. These illegal immigrants are not only restricted to these two states but have slowly found their way into Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi and even the western state of Rajasthan. This has also been the cause of many troubles in Assom in the recent past.
Another angle to be considered is the spread of terrorism. Gone are the days when one used to hear about terrorist activities mainly in Kashmir valley. Today one is not sure about his/her life in Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Kolkata or Delhi for that matter. Getting access to India is very easy for the unwanted/ nuisance lot and it has been a challenge for the authorities to nab them and then prosecute them. Often due to lack of evidence or turning hostile by the witnesses the suspects are let off.
Unique ID is going to be very handy tool to deal with all these and much more. All the information about an individual will be recorded in a database, access to which will be through the UID. It is expected that in future it can be used in lieu of PAN, Voter ID card, and Passport. Only thing which now remains to be seen is how it is implemented. Only time will tell whether this proposal will get itself added to the list of several pending proposals in the files somewhere in Delhi, or will find itself as one of the glorious achievements of the Indian Democracy.
