THE disclosure that 75 percent of all cell phones out of one crore so far verified by the government has come as a big shock and a big threat to national security. The disclosure made by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication said nearly 13 crore cell phone connections are active in the country at the moment and it appears nearly 9 crore SIM cards are not registered to cause serious concern at all level. It is reported that the government has taken the drive in the wake of surging criminal activities and lawlessness in the country using mobile phones. But most perpetrators are remaining untracked as the law enforcers find their SIM cards not registered with the identity of the users. Many people in the opposition political parties are also using unregistered cell phones to keep unknown their identity and many believe that the re-registration requirement will bring them under police surveillance. The government has asked the six cell phone operators to register all SIM and RIM cards with valid National Identification (NID) by the year end so that every user’s identity become known to law enforcers.
In our view this is a very important project from the national security perspective when lawlessness is gripping the nation with growing murders and such other crimes. However, it is equally a matter of concern to opposition party men in as much as it would make them vulnerable to police harassment and arrest on political ground. But keeping aside this matter, the fact that three-quarters of the SIM cards so far verified are unregistered is a terrible security lapse suggesting that police and the cell phone operators do not know these users while many of these people are using the mobile phones to put threats on the life of political leaders and businessmen demanding tolls and ransom and ending the terrors in many of their killing.
The disclosure by the concerned minister said over 48,000 SIM cards have been found registered against four NID card holders which also appear fake to show the criminal neglect of the cell phone operators and their sale agents and the indifference of the law enforcers and government agencies in national security matters. Reports said around 14,117 SIMs were found registered against a single National Identity (NID) card holder. The mobile phone operators have so far handed over information on nearly one crore SIM cards to NID authority for verification where only 23, 43,68 were found registered properly.
It appears unbelievable and point to the fact that the government and its law enforcing agencies have so far shown gross neglect to real national security issues while using the time and resources to haunt the political opponents. In our view a successful re-registration of mobile phones is important to reduce crime but when 75 percent of them is remained unregistered, the task appears to be quite challenging. Moreover, a good project is likely to lose its appeal if the government goes for using it to nab the opposition.
