I am Niraadhar

I am in great company. One of the millions who toil for the ‘government’ which unabashedly wrests my earning in the form of direct and indirect taxes and yet care two hoots for me.

In the largest democracy, there are many undemocratic acts. Of which the most brazen is imposing aadhar card on me. The UPA government tells me that I can’t breathe without the aadhar, ignoring the fact that I am niraadhar in this country who have neither privileges nor rights. Yeah, they will correct me, “Why, don’t you have the right to vote?” A fat lot of help it is. I am given a choice to vote for 1) a butcher 2) a thug 3) a rapist 4) a pettifogger!

The other day my car dealer tells me I must have the aadhar card to get my vehicle registered. Really? Would they not accept their own document called driving license? “No, the government has ordered aadhar is the key.” You decide.

Aping the West. That’s what all Indians do. America and Europe have security card system for jobs and other matters. It’s because they have limited population and they take care of them. In this country, open to plunder from missionaries to terror messiahs, where is the sense of any card? An Indian today has half a dozen cards from ration card to debit card. All this are redundant, says the government. It is nothing short of Emergency Rule where people have no voice.

I am outraged. How can the government decide that my PAN card is useless? It is the very government that had imposed PAN card on me. Or that the driving license or passport are worthless documents? Will the government that proclaims that aadhar card is no proof to citizenship explain what category this accursed aadhar falls in then? Government has allotted a massive fund for this and what are the tangible benefits? Will anybody tell me? In a country where 30 per cent live in hovels and 50 per cent have no safe drinking water, why does the government zealously pursue a rainbow unless it is a ‘mota maal’ for politicians and officials?

I am sure, not long after this very aadhar will fall from grace and prove another matter of inquiry. Many will then pass the buck but by the time I and my millions of countrymen have had already paid the price. Who will compensate us?

This is perhaps the only democratic country where governmental actions are not explained. The prime minister or chief minister can float schemes as if they were Rajahs of yore and care less for what the people think. Is it not time we questioned this?

Tailend

The other day, an air passenger produced a voter ID card at the security gate in Trivandrum airport. The CISF officer on duty looked at the card where a black hole represented the photograph. He asked for a PAN card. The gentleman did not have. Driving license? Yes, but forgotten to take, as he is not “driving” the plane anyway. “This won’t do,” the officer shook his head in the negative. The passenger was angry. “Ask the government. Don’t detain me.” Each was right. As the argument gained decibel points, I had to hurry along not to miss my flight. But my mind was at the gate and wanted to know who is responsible for this.

Tags: featured, full-image, government, Hard Talk

Category: Opinion