CPI(M)’s Riyas Raises Privacy Concerns Over Linking Birth Records to Aadhaar, Voter Lists

CPI(M) leader and Kerala MLA P A Muhammad Riyas on Saturday called for strong vigilance over the reported proposal by the Union government to link birth and death registration data with Aadhaar, voter lists, ration cards and educational admissions.

In a Facebook post, Riyas said making birth certificates increasingly important for establishing a citizen’s identity and determining access to rights could have serious consequences, particularly for ordinary people and marginalized sections of society.

Riyas also raised concerns over the reported collection of additional personal information during the Census, including the places of birth and religions of parents. He questioned whether such data collection could be connected to the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) and eventually the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The CPI(M) leader argued that collecting extensive personal information and linking databases across multiple government systems could pose a significant challenge to privacy and federal principles. He cautioned that dependence on documentation could create situations where people are segregated or denied access to rights because of discrepancies or the absence of required records.

According to Riyas, such a system could have a disproportionate impact on people who face difficulties obtaining or preserving official documents. He said the possibility of citizens being classified or excluded on the basis of documentation should be viewed seriously.

Riyas maintained that the issue was not merely administrative but had wider implications for constitutional rights and democratic values. He said any system that enables citizens to be denied rights based on documentation would undermine the principles guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. He called for democratic resistance and public vigilance to ensure that technological and administrative measures do not compromise citizens’ rights, privacy or the federal structure.

The remarks come amid broader debate over the use of interconnected government databases and the collection of personal information through population and civil registration systems.