Thread by @sunitarora

The @ECISVEEP officer came to my home today, seeking my participation in #AadhaarVoterIDCardLink .

I smiled and politely told him that I wasn't going to do so. The officer noted it down, saying the link can also be done online.

Putting this out for awareness. @no2uid @apar1984

The concerns: merger of 2 disparate databases. Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, and only of residency. It is being merged with a database that is proof of citizenship.

Past attempts to link aadhaar with electoral card (in Telangana and AP, 2018) have led to massive disenfranchisement. This had to be rolled back. So it can destabilise the electoral system, potentially swing some verdicts.

There is a concern about profiling (via aadhaar, which is now aggregating data at a furious pace) can be used by political parties to finely target voters and could influence voter preference. For instance, those who avail of subsidies can be targeted etc.

The govt says the linkage is voluntary. That means little in a country where consent can be easily brushed under the official carpet. It all boils down to trust _ would you trust the Indian state with your data even if legal, constitutional safeguards were in place (they're not)?

These concerns are not elitist; there have been dangers to electoral democracy in recent years. In India, despite concerns about hacking etc, elections have been seen to work (it's another matter India has become a diminished democracy post elections). We should tread carefully./

P.S. digitally speaking, our generation are the frogs (I prefer crab) getting slowly boiled in a pot of water. Ten years down the line, it'll be a different India vis-a-vis citizens and digital rights. Just look at China to see how badly this can go. There should be safeguards./

P.P.S Thanks to @IndiaHistorypic for asking questions, which led me to write this thread!