Opinion Rise of the machines

Joining the debate over whether electronic voting machines are tamper-proof,the RSS has argued that the Election Commission.

The Indian Express

September 2, 2010 03:02 AM IST First published on: Sep 2, 2010 at 03:02 AM IST

Joining the debate over whether electronic voting machines are tamper-proof,the RSS has argued that the Election Commission is being unnecessarily sensitive and cagey about EVM-related questions. The lead editorial in the latest issue of the RSS journal Organiser says that if the EC is convinced that EVMs cannot be not tampered with,then there is no reason to get embarrassed about opening them up to public scrutiny.

Not just the editorial. Organiser also carries a front page article by G.V.L. Narasimha Rao a known critic of the voting machines which talks about flaws in EVMs and the arrest of a Hyderabad-based researcher who it said had demonstrated loopholes in the machines. The article,titled Why is Congress so touchy on EVMs? says the arrest raises serious questions about government intent. He says while it seemed the whole issue is merely the result of a recalcitrant Commission standing on prestige about the infallibility of its EVMs,recent statements by some central government officials that all EVM critics are engaged in a conspiracy to discredit the Indian electoral system is a charge with serious political overtones.

With its desperate actions,the ECI and the government stand totally exposed and are betraying nervous signs. While earlier they seemed only guilty of being ignorant about EVM vulnerabilities,the latest actions raise question marks about their integrity and intent, he says.

The RSS sees a political motive behind Home Minister P. Chidambarams talk of the saffron terror phenomenon. In expected fashion,it disassociates itself from Hindutva terror but seeks to know whether a few such alleged sporadic cases that took place during a period of 14 months can become a phenomenon? In an article in Organiser,RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav argues that there is no such thing,and that neither the RSS nor any other known Hindu group ever espoused or supported terrorism.

He says the home minister,by talking about saffron terror,could be either trying to please his detractors within the party like Digvijaya Singh,or aiming for the coming Bihar elections. Madhav argues that the Congress might use this saffron terror tag to create unease in the ruling alliance in Bihar. Interestingly,he also wonders who exactly created the phenomenon to begin with. Before 2007,he argues,there was no so-called saffron terrorism; and,despite Chidambarams claims,there was none after the Malegaon arrests in 2008 either. It existed for just 14-15 months. And the most important players in this 14-15 month phenomenon were people like Colonel Srikant Purohit and a self-styled swami called Dayanand Pandey. Who are they? How come a serving army officer and a Congress-created Swami became the main players in this so-called Hindu/saffron terror? Who is behind them? he asks.

In line with the RSS hard line on Kashmir,the Organiser carries articles,somewhat rhetorical,on the situation in the state. While one article argues that New Delhi should shed its policy of appeasement towards fanatics and separatists and listen to the sane voice of nationalist elements amongst Muslims,another says the Centre must tell the Kashmiris that if they want anything at any level,they must take back the over four lakh Kashmiri Pandits evicted from the valley. The Pandits are the original Kashmiris. They should be welcomed back with open arms,every one of them,and adequately rehabilitated. Unless that is done to the last Pandit,Delhi must make it clear that there will be no talks with anyone,including the separatists, it says.

Another article says the widely held perception is that the mob violence in the valley is a change of strategy from the ISI that has realised that sponsored terrorism has failed to produce the results desired. Terrorism is now a dirty word throughout the globe that no longer evokes sympathy and support from the international community. The fall and demise of the LTTE is a case in point, it says.

Compiled by Manoj C.G.