Dear all, good evening... after a long sabbatical.I am tempted to write something on the above mentioned topic due to wide discussion beaming across the Indian land mass via numerous communication channels.
At the outset,I want to clarify that I don't support any authoritarian regime where questioning of anything is restricted and termed as anti-national. Healthy and logical questioning should be welcomed by each one of us.
However, I am perturbed the way doubts are being raised on integrity of Election Commission of India and its functioning. I have serious concerns about the means adopted today in the legislative assembly of Delhi to demonstrate so called "Live Hecathon" of EVMs [Electronic Voting Machine]. It appears like you are the judge of your own case. You have designed your machine and you are showing to the common masses of this great country about its hacking /manipulation.This is not expected from a apparently balanced educated politician like Mr Saurav Bhardwaj. If at all, they want to prove the possibilities of manipulation in EVMs, they should have asked Election Commission of India to provide them authentic EVMs. By showing look like EVMs is not a good thing and brought AAP in a very bad light specially when AAP is going through the worst crisis of credibility.
It appears that there is serious deficit at the strategic level in AAP. They are touching a topic where people hardly believe and it might bounce back badly against AAP.
It is these EVMs only via which AAP came to power. It is these EVMs only when AAP became leader of opposition in Punjab election. Why questions were not being raised when AAP won consecutive elections in Delhi? I think, AAP is loosing foresight due to cheap power politics. They are not able to concentrate on core issues.
I am worried about the possible fall out of this mindless questioning on EVMs. Everybody is aware that India is passing though various internal challenges such as Naxalism in Jharkhand,Chattisgarh,Maharashtra,Orissa and terrorist/separatist movement in J & K and other north-eastern states. In a democratic country like India, when doubts are castigated on election process itself, the separatist forces may further trigger their movement and may justify their existence on Indian soil. It might happen that in future, opposition parties might join hands and start opposing the election results on the pretext that EVMs are manipulated. It will be a dark day then for India.
It is easy to divide and create unrest in society but very difficult to contend and pacify the unrest. Election Commission of India burned mid night oil and spent years in getting trust of the people of this country. Once this trust is gone, it will be difficult to control unrest in our country. We all know, how a rigged election created bad atmosphere in J&K.
The political parties which are demanding paper voting might have forgotten that maximum rigging/booth capturing took place during manual paper voting. The chance of any type of rigging has gone down substantially after the introduction of EVM. It has saved millions of trees as well.
So, what should be done immediately by Election Commission of India immediately before fire spread like wild fire?
Election Commission of India[EC] must demonstrate in front of all political parties with LIVE coverage by electronic media about the safety of EVM. EC must inform the people of this country about the fool proof procedure being adopted by EC during election. EC should publicize widely about the various levels of authorities/officers involved in election management where even if there is a Chance of manipulation in EVM, it can't happen just because of numerous layers.
It is necessary because public should not loose faith on this very important tool of free and fair election.
Simultaneously, every political party must behave properly and if at all they want to raise any issue they should raise it with wise and sound logic.
EC must introduce paper trail on minimum 10 % EVMs in each constituency to remove any doubt on EVMs.
A free and fair election is the necessity for a healthy and vibrant democratic Nation. I hope that EC will quickly realize the significance of a wide clarification on the issues raised by AAP howsoever silly it may be.
Keep on blogging......
At the outset,I want to clarify that I don't support any authoritarian regime where questioning of anything is restricted and termed as anti-national. Healthy and logical questioning should be welcomed by each one of us.
However, I am perturbed the way doubts are being raised on integrity of Election Commission of India and its functioning. I have serious concerns about the means adopted today in the legislative assembly of Delhi to demonstrate so called "Live Hecathon" of EVMs [Electronic Voting Machine]. It appears like you are the judge of your own case. You have designed your machine and you are showing to the common masses of this great country about its hacking /manipulation.This is not expected from a apparently balanced educated politician like Mr Saurav Bhardwaj. If at all, they want to prove the possibilities of manipulation in EVMs, they should have asked Election Commission of India to provide them authentic EVMs. By showing look like EVMs is not a good thing and brought AAP in a very bad light specially when AAP is going through the worst crisis of credibility.
It appears that there is serious deficit at the strategic level in AAP. They are touching a topic where people hardly believe and it might bounce back badly against AAP.
It is these EVMs only via which AAP came to power. It is these EVMs only when AAP became leader of opposition in Punjab election. Why questions were not being raised when AAP won consecutive elections in Delhi? I think, AAP is loosing foresight due to cheap power politics. They are not able to concentrate on core issues.
I am worried about the possible fall out of this mindless questioning on EVMs. Everybody is aware that India is passing though various internal challenges such as Naxalism in Jharkhand,Chattisgarh,Maharashtra,Orissa and terrorist/separatist movement in J & K and other north-eastern states. In a democratic country like India, when doubts are castigated on election process itself, the separatist forces may further trigger their movement and may justify their existence on Indian soil. It might happen that in future, opposition parties might join hands and start opposing the election results on the pretext that EVMs are manipulated. It will be a dark day then for India.
It is easy to divide and create unrest in society but very difficult to contend and pacify the unrest. Election Commission of India burned mid night oil and spent years in getting trust of the people of this country. Once this trust is gone, it will be difficult to control unrest in our country. We all know, how a rigged election created bad atmosphere in J&K.
The political parties which are demanding paper voting might have forgotten that maximum rigging/booth capturing took place during manual paper voting. The chance of any type of rigging has gone down substantially after the introduction of EVM. It has saved millions of trees as well.
So, what should be done immediately by Election Commission of India immediately before fire spread like wild fire?
Election Commission of India[EC] must demonstrate in front of all political parties with LIVE coverage by electronic media about the safety of EVM. EC must inform the people of this country about the fool proof procedure being adopted by EC during election. EC should publicize widely about the various levels of authorities/officers involved in election management where even if there is a Chance of manipulation in EVM, it can't happen just because of numerous layers.
It is necessary because public should not loose faith on this very important tool of free and fair election.
Simultaneously, every political party must behave properly and if at all they want to raise any issue they should raise it with wise and sound logic.
EC must introduce paper trail on minimum 10 % EVMs in each constituency to remove any doubt on EVMs.
A free and fair election is the necessity for a healthy and vibrant democratic Nation. I hope that EC will quickly realize the significance of a wide clarification on the issues raised by AAP howsoever silly it may be.
Keep on blogging......
