Concerns Over India's Plan for Digital IDs in Kashmir

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The Indian government's decision to introduce a unique eight-digit family identity card for residents in Jammu and Kashmir (JK) has sparked surveillance and privacy concerns in the disputed Himalayan region.
  • The implementation of a unique alpha-numeric code — called JK Family ID — is reportedly aimed at creating a transparent database of JK families, which will have information on births, deaths, and marriages of eligible beneficiaries.
  • According to the government, the new digital IDs will improve access to state welfare benefits such as subsidized food grains, free medical treatment, old age pensions, and scholarships.
  • Meanwhile, many mainstream political parties in Indian-administered Kashmir oppose the proposed JK Family ID over privacy and data safety concerns.
  • These concerns echo those of activists that allege loopholes in India's national digital ID — called Aadhaar — pose risks of data leaks since it was introduced in 2009 to streamline welfare payments. Authorities have pledged to collect data with beneficiaries' consent and strengthen cybersecurity measures.
  • Meanwhile, some JK residents reportedly fear the unique family ID is the ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party's way of exerting greater control over the Muslim-majority region, which lost its autonomous status and was split into two union territories in 2019.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Indian Express, Asia Sentinel, Press Trust of Kashmir, Al Arabiya, and Reuters.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by India.com. The sole purpose of allotting JK Family IDs is to allow the needy to receive welfare benefits unhindered. To thwart threats and secure sensitive and essential data, the state government will develop an information security policy per all applicable laws and rules on data protection. By doubting the government's intentions, political parties are blocking the region's prosperity and fanning communal hatred.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Wire. This exercise is not only a waste of time and resources but also an intrusive policy under the guise of promoting the effective deliverance of existing benefits. By creating a personal database of all JK families, the Indian government just wants to keep a watch on Kashmiris. However, the move will backfire as it will deepen the suspicion against the Indian government in Jammu and Kashmir.