We lived in the age of “The Phantom” by Lee Falk during childhood. It’s a costumed crime fighter of American adventure that operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla, and we had to wait for a fortnight to see a few comic strips from our favourite magazine “Prantik”. Later, the character was adapted for TV, film, and video. Another American superhero, “Batman,” waged eternal war on the criminals of Gotham City, and with amazing spider-like abilities, Spiderman spun around and climbed plenty of obstacles to help others. Incidentally, they are all the masked super heroes of our time. We were often captivated by those fictional characters because of their supernatural abilities.
However, it shall be unlawful for any person with the intent to conceal his identity to wear any mask or hood whereby a face is hidden or covered in any public place. After the COVID catastrophe, masks migrated into the realm of fashion, and fugitives and masked thieves had their heyday with face masks. We often see the faces of an arrested person covered in masks or half covered by handkerchiefs or any other piece of cloth. People began suspecting those headgear wearers, and even helmets are used to hide their identities. Basically, a suspect’s face is hidden until the crime is proven.
Nevertheless, people seemed to be happy with a masked identity. Pictures of people in hoodies in solidarity have been flooding social networking sites. Famous people often find their privacy invaded by the press. The list is endless, from Bollywood’s tinted car windows to sun shades; celebrities simply choose to stay private. The people of Gujrat, Rajasthan, and Punjab tie a turban or pagri to keep the head cool to escape from the blazing heat, and they even use a desert scarf to protect their eyes during sandstorms. It’s also a traditional Middle Eastern outfit that covers everything from head to toe. Soon, you might not have to remove your mask to pass through airport security. Facial recognition technology at checkpoints is expected to recognise people with half their faces covered.
There were bizarre, impressive, and hilarious funerary practises in the ancient world. The Bhaona masked culture of Majuli is an artistic interpretation introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva in the Xatriya culture. The Special Forces soldiers cover their faces to keep their identities private. Wearing surgical-style masks, primarily to prevent the spread of illness, has become part of social etiquette in Japan. The custom was spurred on by the H1N1 influenza epidemic of 2009.
On the other day, when I came across the masked Aadhaar, a senior citizen expressed concern about the data privacy issues of individuals and refused to disclose the first 8 of the 12 digits in KYC. A masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx,” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number are visible. Aadhaar number is personally sensitive information like bank account number, passport number, PAN number, etc., which should be strictly shared only on a need-based basis for a legitimate use for establishing identity and for legitimate transactions.
The photo, QR code, demographic information, and other details are still present with this masked version of Aadhaar, and now it’s legally accepted. The Central Government has asked citizens to only share masked copies of their Aadhaar cards to prevent misuse. Further, unlicensed private entities, like hotels and film halls, are not allowed to collect or keep copies of the Aadhaar card. It’s an offence under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
Above all, masks still matter today because they help protect against some of the health risks of exposure to air pollution, and people wear them with great style, like the most iconic Kala Chashma (black shades). Well, that’s on the lines of what those senior citizens had in mind for the masked Aadhaar, but there are a few tweaks one needs to make before it’s right, and I too would appreciate it if a mask would protect one’s identity in public.