Amid ongoing protests against the mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) spokesperson and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh defended the government’s stance, calling the opposition to Aadhaar “baseless and illogical.”
The protest, which saw participation from several groups including North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum, voiced strong objections to Aadhaar linkage, citing concerns over privacy, exclusion, and coercion. Responding to the agitation, Lyngdoh questioned the rationale behind opposing a process mandated across the country.
“What is the valid ground to oppose? Nobody is being forced to register for Aadhaar. But that also means that whoever does not go for registration will not be entitled to certain government schemes. So, the choice lies with the applicant,” Lyngdoh asserted.
He further compared Aadhaar to other essential identification documents. “We have been saying there are no logical or sensible grounds to oppose this. It is like opposing a PAN card or a driving license. You can’t oppose everything under the sun; there has to be valid reasoning,” he said.
The minister clarified that the state government is not acting on its own but is following central directives. “We are not doing anything out of the ordinary. There are strict guidelines from various Ministries of the Government of India that Aadhaar registration must be compulsory. Only through this can government interventions and welfare programmes be properly monitored and evaluated in terms of their success rate and performance.”
Lyngdoh also pointed out that the process would help the state build a reliable database for more effective policy implementation. “Let us also realise that this is purely a central subject. Aadhaar helps create a detailed database of cardholders. Meghalaya is one of the few states yet to complete the Aadhaar registration process — the rest of India did it years ago,” he added.
